It Wasn't About Revenge
by ScriptNinja
Summary: After Zim is told the truth about his mission and exiled, Tak is ordered by the Tallest to ensure he never returns. This time, with plans for revenge in mind, she heads back to Earth to destroy him for ruining her life. Unfortunately, things don't always go according to plan. Z&TR
1. Truce

**Truce**

Zim balanced a wooden pencil heedlessly between his two gloved index fingers. Not paying the slightest bit of attention to Ms. Bitters agonizingly dull science lecture, he tried his best to make the wooden utensil appear as weightless as possible. He was supposed to be using it to take notes like the other students, but as usual, he was completely bored out of his mind.

Sometimes he even wondered why he bothered showing up to what the humans referred to as _skool_. He'd experienced enough of it to know by now that despite it passing itself off as a learning institution, it didn't provide any real useful information for a conquering invader. Most of the time, the teacher blabbered on about how doomed they all were, or how dreary they could expect their adult lives to be. Every time he went, he felt like he was on the verge on insanity.

Today's topic was no different. They were discussing insects, or more precisely, ant colonies. Ms. Bitters took a step back from the medium sized glass structure resting on her desk and waited for the class to take notice. Inside of it, dozens of tiny ants scurried about, each performing an important task for survival. Some of the ants were different colors and were fighting aggressively for territory. She turned away from the flask and pointed to the crudely drawn chart on the chalk board behind her.

"So you see students, the soldier ants will horribly annihilate their rival counterparts in a brutal battle to the death, similar to the corporate nightmare structure that is the backbone of our economy. But occasionally when an orphaned ant loses its queen, it is absorbed into the new colony rather than killed."

The rest of the students carefully followed the yardstick their teacher used as a pointing tool as she explained the lesson. They seemed somewhat interested in the topic, but it also could have been the fear that the yardstick could be slammed down onto their desks at any time.

Tuning out the lecture entirely, Zim leaned back and tilted his head to stare up at the poorly maintained vinyl ceiling above. He had to admit, he found some of the facts interesting, such as how such a tiny creature could carry up to fifty times its own weight. He thought briefly about using that to his advantage, supersizing the ants and using them to destroy the city. But then he remembered his disastrous attempt with the class hamster and quickly dismissed the idea.

It then occurred to him that it had been quite a while since he last contacted The Tallest with a new elaborate plan to take over the humans. As expected of all invaders, he was supposed to report in regularly with any updates on his progress, but he hadn't had a new plan in weeks. Surely they were growing impatient. But contacting them without having an idea to present was horribly embarrassing.

He leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes, desperately trying to conjure up a new way to enslave humanity. All of his previous attempts had ended in failure, and he was having trouble coming up with anything fresh. He tried to convince himself that it was just a minor setback, that he had just been too busy with other things to conjure up anything good. But the real truth was, he was rapidly running out of ideas.

Before he could get too lost in thought, he suddenly felt the chair leg he was balancing on snap. Eyes going wide, he felt it collapse beneath him, and with a yelp, he crashed down onto the classroom floor.

The commotion was enough to draw the attention from the rest of the class and they turned to look over at him curiously. Body aching, he avoided their puzzled, looming stares and quickly gathered himself up. After taking a moment to ensure his disguise was still in place, he straightened his posture and glared across the room at the one student whom he knew was, without a doubt, responsible.

 _Dib._

His sworn enemy and the one to blame for constantly foiling all of his well-thought-out plans, innocently twiddled his thumbs and whistled away while looking up at the ceiling. Zim glared at him. The incident had been just another pathetic attempt by the human to put unwanted attention on the proud invader. It was almost insulting how the boy had the arrogance to play it off as if it was nothing.

Hopping up on his desk, he prepared to shout a threat of impending doom when the teacher abruptly cut him short.

"Zim! That's the fifth disturbance this year," barked Ms. Bitters, swatting the yardstick toward him. "One more outburst like that and you lose your desk for the rest of the school year."

Deciding it was best not to argue, Zim straightened his posture and gave his signature military salute. "Yes. Ms. Bitters." Sending Dib a death glare, he picked his chair back up and quickly repaired it with some duct tape he kept stashed away in his desk. He had learned long ago to expect the unexpected in class, no matter how juvenile it may be. It wasn't the first time his nemesis had picked on him and it would certainly not be the last. He made a mental note that he would just have to come up with something more ingenious comeback later on.

Dib on the other hand, was fully enjoying Zim's torment. Proud of his minor accomplishment, he snickered quietly on the other side of the room. It had been nothing more than a childish prank, but he still found it amusing. Unfortunately, their teacher did not share in his particular sense of humor.

"And Dib. Since you also seem to have trouble paying attention, I am assigning the two of you as partners for the school science project."

Dib stopped snickering. "Aw come on! He's an alien!" he countered, holding his hands out towards Zim in protest. Taking Dib's accusations as everyday nonsense, Ms. Bitters hissed and cast her infamously dark shadow over him. Feeling defeated, Dib slumped forward and rested his chin on his hand. "Yes ma'am."

* * *

The rest of the day went on as usual. After the final bell rang, Zim found himself angrily marching back to his base.

"And can you believe that!? Me!? Zim!? Ordered to work with that FILTHY Dib creature!" He ranted to some random poor, unsuspecting kid as he made his way back home. Upon entering the living room part of his base, he angrily slammed the door behind him, not realizing that the kid had made a run for it long ago. "The thought of such a concept makes me sick! That horrible stink beast."

Grunting in frustration he scanned around the room. As usual, Gir was sitting on the couch watching TV with the remote in hand. "HIYA MASTER!" he screeched in his high pitched metallic voice. "YOU WANNA WATCH THE SCARY MONKEY SHOW WITH ME?"

Zim glared at the tv screen. "No Gir. No horrible monkey today." He threw one of his arms in the air for dramatic effect. "There is much work that needs to be done! I need a new plan to destroy the humans, and I must do it before the-Dib bothers me about some IDIOTIC science fair project! I have recently discovered the humans have an irrational obsession with tacos, and if I can control these tacos...I CONTROL THE WORLD. I just need to-"

He froze when he realized his little robot slave had squeaked his way up to him and was eagerly awaiting to hear the rest of his master's plan. Anything involving food always managed to catch the SIR unit's attention.

Zim looked down at him apprehensively. "Er, I mean... Gir, I need YOU, UP HERE! Collecting uh...INFORMATION! On as many...um...TACO commercials as possible! Do you understand?"

Excited, Gir clapped his tiny hands together in joy, "YAY! I'M GONNA EAT SO MANY TACOS!" And with a quick and tiny salute, he ran back to watch TV.

Zim sighed in relief and continued on to one of his hidden elevators that would take him down into the base. He was well aware that with a plan involving tacos, Gir's assistance would probably be more of a hindrance anyway.

* * *

 **Many hours later**

Working tirelessly into the night, Zim managed to complete most of the preparations for his new master plan. Not requiring sleep, he often used the late hours to his advantage while Dib and the majority of the other humans were resting. _What primal creatures_ , he thought to himself, _needing to sleep nearly a third of their lives. How pathetic._

He struggled to slip into the silly taco costume he had stolen from an unsuspecting teen outside Crazy Taco, and after zipping it up, he approached the main communication monitor. He waved his hand over the control panel, causing the large black screen that towered above him to flicker to life.

"Computer! Contact the Tallest!"

"But sir, they _never_ answer," responded the deep robotic voice. "Are you sure you want to-"

"I am your master and I command you to contact them! Now!"

The computer let out an audible sigh and did as it was commanded. Zim stared at the blank screen in anticipation. He continued to wait patiently, well past the time any sane person would have given up. Finally, after twenty minutes of constant ringing, a connection was established.

Zim felt his excitement rise as his leaders appeared on screen. From the looks of it, he seemed to have interrupted some sort of binge snacking period. Littered around the floor behind them were empty candy wrappers and chip bags, empty soda cups were scattered here and there, and on the sides of the screen he could see even some of the crew members munching happily on donuts.

As usual, the Tallest looked less than pleased to see him. "Yes, what is it now Zim?" questioned Red in a rather exhausted tone.

Zim immediately saluted his leaders out of respect. "My Tallest! I am reporting in to inform you of my latest and most ingenious plan to rid this planet of the humans! It's my most brilliant plan ever, if I do say so myself.""

"But that's what you always say," taunted Purple with a mouth full of chips. "And you're in a taco suit."

Zim glanced down at his costume briefly and then lifted his head proudly. "Yes, well. You see that is all part of the plan. First I will use this taco suit as a disguise to sneak into the human taco headquarters. Once I have successfully infiltrated their defenses, I will-"

Upon hearing snickering, he opened his eyes, only to find his leaders snickering at him. At first he was confused, but his ego quickly took over. "Ah yes, thank you. I AM a master of comedy. Now if you direct your attention to this taco."

Red and Purple's laughter only increased as Zim continued his explanation. Eventually, he found the rest of the crew giggling along with them. Perturbed, he ended the demonstration. Surely he could understand that the costume had been humorous, but the core of his presentation wasn't intended to be comical.

"My Tallest?" he asked perplexed. "I don't understand. What is it that you find so amusing?"

Both of his leaders attempted to catch their breath. "You really still haven't figured it out yet have you?" asked Tallest Red, wiping a year away.

Zim stared at him puzzled. "Eh? Whatever do you mean my Tallest?"

Red sighed. "Look Zim, that 'mission' that we assigned to you to? It was a fake. Your invader status was never reinstated. We gave you that assignment hoping you would disappear somewhere in the far end of the universe to leave us alone."

"Oh and to never be heard from again!" added Purple happily. "Don't forget to be never heard from again!"

Red turned back toward Zim. "Uh, yeah. And to be never heard from again."

Zim stared at the two of them, speechless. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He forced a maniacal laugh. "Hahahahahahaha. Good one my Tallest! I will have to come up with something equally whimsical for my next report." He cleared his throat. "Now, as I was saying-"

"Were serious Zim," interrupted Red, his tone suddenly stern.

Zim's cocky smile disappeared and was replaced with a look of uncomfortable uncertainty. "I...I don't understand."

Red sighed again and brought his two long claws to rest on his forehead. "Look, you're not _really_ an invader Zim. You haven't been one since your re-encoding to food service drone by the control brains. We just gave you this mission to get rid of you. You're too dangerous to keep around."

"And stupid! Don't forget stupid!" Purple chimed in.

Red ignored his comrade. "Since Foodcourtia couldn't seem to hold you, we sent you on a fake mission to the far ends of the universe. It was funny at first, but now, frankly, it's become tiresome. From this point on, consider yourself exiled. You will be banned from all communications and forbidden to foot on any Irken owned planets. You will no longer receive supplies and are expected to fend for yourself. And if you break these terms, well...you get the idea."

"Yeah and don't call us anymore!" shouted Purple.

With that, the transmission went blank.

Zim stared blankly at the empty screen. _Exiled?_ No. It couldn't be. It didn't make any sense. Like any good invader, he had dedicated his entire life to serving the Irken Empire. His whole mission couldn't have just been a complete lie...could it?

Denial overtaking him, he frantically waved his hand across the control panel to reconnect the call. "My Tallest! My Tallest? Surely this is a mistake!" Failing to get through, he resorted to pounding his fist against the bioscanner. "My Tallest! My Tallest? My Tallest!"

Still no answer.

Defeated, Zim sunk back in his command seat. _A lie? Had it really all been a lie? Was I really nothing more than a giant laughing stock? A joke that the entire Empire had been taking for a fool this entire time?_

Despite hearing the news directly from the source, his mind still had difficulty processing it. He sorted through past endeavors, hoping to find any moment that might have given him a clue. First there was the Great Assigning. He had to admit, he HAD found it odd that the Tallest didn't have a specific assignment ready for him when he arrived. But since they had assured him his mission was secret, he'd blindly accepted it. Then there was his SIR unit, or GIR as they had called it. Instead of helping him with his plans, the little robot seemed more interested in food and television than taking over the world. And then there was the general lack of communication from his leaders. As an invader, he was required to give frequent updates on his progress, but out of the hundreds of times he had tried contacting the Tallest, they only seemed to answer when it was convenient for them.

Slowly, he felt the reality of the situation begin to sink in. His mission, his SIR unit, the general disregard for any of his ideas. It was all starting to make sense. His leaders didn't care about him. As far as they were concerned, he was better off dead. This entire time, he had simply been a side show for their amusement and had just been too stupid to put the pieces together. Was he really considered that much of a threat to his own people that they would rather have him exiled than working as a fast-food drone? He wasn't sure which was more humiliating.

Each thought that crossed his mind dragged him down deeper than the last. Denial quickly giving way to anger, he dug his claws deep into the cheap, flimsy fabric of the taco suit. He pulled hard, and with a fit of strength, ripped the costume apart.

He shed it from his body and forcefully tossed it aside. _How can they do this to me! ME?! The great invader ZIM!_ Anger rising, he grabbed the nearest object he could find, which in this case, happened to be some metallic wires running along the wall. Grabbing hold of the metal tubes, he yanked them out as hard as he could. They let out a series of sparks as the components became disconnected.

He had expected the quick outburst to calm him down, but it wasn't enough. Rage fuming, he thrashed about the communications room, ripping out any mechanical parts and he could find and generally destroying anything he could get his claws on. _I'm an invader! A member of the Irken elite! How can they just cast me aside like I'm nothing!_

When the communications bay was thoroughly destroyed, he continued on to the lab. Picking up what looked like an advanced wrench, he raised it above his head and smashed it into a nearby test tube chamber. He didn't even bother to take a step back as the glass shattered and the semi-clear liquid spilled out all over the floor.

Swinging the wrench again, he bashed a nearby computer console. Electric parks flew out from the dashboard and traveled across the fresh spillage, causing various explosions around the nearby electronics. He was knee-deep in nearly destroying most of the lab when the computer's robotic voice abruptly interrupted him.

"Sir, there is someone at the door."

Breathing heavily, Zim whipped his head around to glance at the monitor. "What!? What is it now!?" he spat angrily.

It was Dib. He was outside where the sun had risen to approximately mid-morning, and the boy was now pounding on his front door repeatedly, demanding him to open up.

Zim growled in annoyance. Out of all the things to bother him now, it had to be that filthy nuisance.

Turning around, he did his best to ignore the alert, but it only irritated him further. "Computer! Let the filthy dirt child in!" he barked, making his way toward the elevator. He balled his claws into fists and his voice lowered to a dark growl. "I'll take care of that bothersome human myself."

* * *

Dib, still banging on the front door, was now shouting to get Zim's attention. "Zim! I know you're in there! I want to talk about this stupid science project thing! I am not letting my grades slip because you decided to take off for the weekend! You hear me space boy!? I want to discuss a tru- huh?"

To his surprise, the door swung open automatically. He stared at it confused. "Uh, Zim?"

Gir, who was still watching tv, greeted him from the couch. "HIYA MARY! YOU HERE TO PLAY WITH MY MASTER?"

"Uh, not exactly," Dib answered. Cautious, he took a few steps inside and proceeded to yell up at the ceiling. "Listen Zim, if this is some kind of trap, I'm not falling for it! You got that Irken scum!?"

He waited for something in retaliation; an alarm to sound, a robot arm to try and nab him from the ceiling, a hatch to open that Zim would pop out of from behind, something. But there was no response. Puzzled, Dib turned his attention toward the tiny robot. "Hey, is your master around?"

Gir stood up excitedly from the couch. "He sure is!"

He stared at the robot waiting for him to follow up with Zim's location, but Gir simply stared back at him with a big goofy grin plastered on his face. Dib sighed. "Can you take me to him?"

"Okie dokie!"

Gir approached the wall, but stopped a few feet away. Dib watched in amazement as the elevator hatch opened, revealing a circular, floating platform. He had seen it only once before, back before he and Zim had battled it out as nanobots. Dismissing the memory, he and Gir stepped onto the platform.

Without so much as a command, the two of them were smoothly, but rapidly transported down the tube.

* * *

The elevator eventually came to a stop, leading the two of them to step off. Dib followed Gir as they passed through a set of sliding doors that led to the main portion of the underground base. He stared at the components around him in awe. Everywhere he looked, technological wonders lined the walls. There were things he was sure he wouldn't see for years given their current technology. He silently cursed himself for not bringing his camera.

As they ventured deeper into the base, he noticed the components around him started to become scattered and broken. He started to feel a bit uneasy. Ever since the whole germs fiasco, Zim never let his base get so disorganized. Granted the boy had only successfully broken in a handful of times, but every time he had, everything had been so neat and tidy. It was unusual to find it in such disarray.

Suddenly, just as they were about to pass through the entry way into the lab, the doors slid open, revealing an angry, hunched over Irken.

"HIYA MASTER!" Gir shouted excitedly. "I brought the big headed kid down here to play!"

Saying nothing, Zim ignored his minion and irately approached the boy with his claws still clenched into fists.

Dib took a step backward. "Look Zim, I know you're mad about me breaking into your base, but that's not why I'm here."

Saying nothing, Zim continued walking closer. Dib eyed him curiously.

"Did you hear me space boy? I said I just came to talk to y-"

Like a mallet striking his face, Dib felt Zim's fist forcefully collide against his soft cheekbone. He lost his balance and fell to the ground, dazed and disoriented from the impact.

Head throbbing, he lifted his hand to caress his cheek. "Geez Zim," he winced, feeling a bruise already start to form. It had been a surprisingly hard hit, and he hadn't expected such a scrawny Irken to be so strong. "What was that for?"

He started to push himself up from the cold floor, but before he could stand, Zim assertively yanked him by his coat collar and slammed him against a nearby wall.

"Enough with your lies human!" Zim shouted angrily. "I demand the truth! Tell me the real reason you've come here!"

Still dazed and now suspended only a few inches above the floor, Dib could only stare back at the enraged Irken. He was beyond confused. All he had done was show up to Zim's front door and all of a sudden the alien wanted to beat the living tar out of him. It didn't make any sense. Sure they were enemies, but usually their fights broke out after an escalated argument, or when Dib stopped him from carrying out his plans. Never just out of the blue.

Realizing this time he may actually be in real danger, Dib quickly landed a hard kick to the alien's gut. Zim grunted in pain and felt his claws release him. Once free, he sprinted a few steps to get to a safe distance, but stopped to look back at his long time rival.

Zim had never acted like this before. He wondered what could possibly have gotten the Irken so worked up. It wasn't like he hadn't broken into the base before.

Still curious about Zim's behavior but knowing he may need a little extra security, he slowly reached into his hidden coat pocket.

Seeing that Dib was up to something, Zim readied to charge again, but halted when the human held up what appeared to be a modified taser gun. It looked different than a regular gun, but similar to the handcuffs he had tried to use to capture him the day they met.

Sensing he had the upper hand, Dib held his ground with the weapon in hand. "Enough Zim! I don't know what's gotten into you, but I did not come here to fight. If you take one more step toward me, I swear I'll knock you unconscious and drag you to the local authorities!"

Zim glared at his rival, weighing his options. It wouldn't be the first time the human had threatened to knock him out and reveal his identity. He could certainly try to call his bluff, but in his current state of mind, he wasn't sure if he was willing to press his luck.

"Very well," he stated in an agitated growl. He adjusted his posture so that he appeared upright and allowed his arms to rest across his chest."What is it that you want? I am very busy at the moment."

Dib lowered his weapon, but eyed his nemesis skeptically. "I came here to talk about the school project. You know, the one we were assigned to work on together?"

"Pfft. Your pitiful science project means nothing to me pathetic Earth creature," Zim spat. "Why would I agree to help you?"

"Well, you never DID repay me for helping you when we turned into Bologna," Dib pointed out. "Or I could just taze you now and turn you in if you'd rather have that. Actually, come to think of it, I might as well do that anyway."

Zim's posture became defensive again. "You dare threaten me!? I AM ZIM! Such pathetic Earth squabbles do not interest me. Leave now human or I will destroy you with my amazing base of doom!"

Dib looked around the room briefly, noticing the collection of smouldering technology surrounding them. He held the taser back out. "Nice try space boy, but there's no way you could destroy me with your base in this shape."

Zim uncrossed his arms and took a brief look around. It only then occurred to him just how much damage he had done. At this rate, the base may not even be able to repair itself, not without manual help. Repairs could take weeks, or maybe even months.

Knowing he lacked the upper hand, Zim relaxed his posture once again. "And how do you expect me to help you Earth stink?" he asked rather condescendingly. "As you may have noticed, my base is currently in need of severe repair and from the look of things, it's going to be a while before it's fully operational again."

Dib lowered the taser slightly. "Listen, if you agree to help me with the project, then I can help you repair parts of your base. In the meantime, we can use my Dad's equipment."

"Ha! That's a good one," shouted Zim. " Why would I ever let YOU help repair MY base?"

Dib let out a brief sigh. "Look, I don't like this either. But I'd rather not fail and let my grades slip because I was paired with the likes of you." He switched off the taser gun and shoved it back into his coat pocket. "Listen, I know it doesn't mean much to you, but if my dad found out that I failed a science project, I wouldn't just be the laughing stock of the school, I would be the laughing stock of the whole world. I can handle being called crazy, but not stupid. I'll help you repair the base as long as you help me with the project."

Taking a step forward, he held his hand out. Zim eyed him suspiciously.

"What? It's a handshake."

"Don't belittle me human! I know what it is!" shouted Zim. "May I remind you, the last time I returned that gesture, we both ended up as bologna meat!"

"You'll just have to trust me this time." He flipped over his hand to prove there was nothing there.

Zim scoffed back at him. "I would never trust you, stink beast."

Dib rolled his eyes. "Okay look, you don't have to trust me. Let's just call a truce. No trying to kill each other until the science fair is dealt with. Alright?"

Zim opened one eye to study the hand presented in front of him. He paused for a moment. If what his leaders had told him earlier was true, he would be forced to make Earth his new permanent home. He would need to find supplies, gather equipment, and work out some sort of purpose to keep himself preoccupied. He still craved world domination, but without his privileged resources, maybe he would need to go about it a different route. If something went wrong, he could no longer flee the planet at the first sign of trouble. Perhaps with the help of a gullible human, he would be able to gain some sort of advantage. And maybe, if by some stroke of chance he did manage to take over the planet, he could offer it to the Tallest in exchange for lifting his banishment.

He sneered at his new diabolical plan. While the human was busy worrying about the science fair, he would grow to earn the boy's trust and hopefully gain a deeper understanding to the secrets of their kind, possibly even their weaknesses. He would not let the incident from earlier bring him down. He was ZIM! And he was going to get his former title back one way or another.

Zim reached out and met Dib's hand in agreement. "Let's just get this over with so we can go back to properly trying to destroy each other."

"Deal."

* * *

 **Meanwhile:**

A lone alien escape pod drifted slowly though the emptiness of space. Battered and damaged beyond repair, it appeared to be a common ball of space junk. Inside the pod was a single female Irken soldier, along with her tiny robotic companion, MIMI. The Irken had programmed her personal PAK unit on her back to keep her in hibernation mode while they traveled. It had been several months since the two of them had contact with anyone, and the last thing she wanted was to waste valuable energy. Together with her faithful SIR unit, the two of them drifted silently through the cosmos until someone stumbled across what was left of their desecrated ship.

An Armada scout patrolling the area unexpectedly discovered the vessel. Recognizing the signature as Irken, he recovered its occupants without question and transported them back to the Massive as quickly as possible.

Once they arrived, the female soldier was urgently brought to the med bay while her SIR unit was taken elsewhere for repairs. The drones surrounding her worked tenaciously but carefully, ensuring that her PAK was working properly and hadn't suffered any major damage. When they had completed their task, they triggered the switch to reawaken her.

REACTIVATING

She jolted as the shock surged through her. When she opened her eyes, she found herself in the medical bay resting on what the humans would have referred to as a gurney. She sat up and rubbed her head in agony.

"Ugghh. Where am I?" she asked, still feeling sluggish.

"You are aboard the Massive," answered a nearby soldier in an authoritative tone. He was taller than her, about medium sized height with red eyes, and carried a long spear. "A scout found the remains of your ship," he continued. "You were brought here to the reactivation bay to repair your PAK and SIR unit. You have been ordered to report to the bridge once repairs are complete."

"The bridge? You mean the Tallest want to see me?" After her recent failure, she was sure her leaders wouldn't be pleased with her. Did they intend on sending her back to Dirt? She wasn't sure she could handle going back to that slum infested wasteland of a planet. Dreading whatever punishment was coming her way, she hopped down from the cushioned platform.

The soldier nodded. "Affirmative. Please follow me."

As commanded, she followed the soldier. Once they reached the bridge, he announced her arrival formally, then turned and exited once dismissed. She watched in anticipation as the Tallest approached her. Their mood was unreadable, but based on their expressions they did not look pleased.

"Janitorial servant drone Tak," Tallest Red stated in his most authoritative tone. "I see you have returned to us empty handed."

Tak winced at her degrading title. She had desperately tried to abandon that part of herself upon escaping Dirt, but unfortunately she would never be able to outrun the encoding she was given by the control brains. None the less, she saluted respectfully. "Sirs! I apologize for my catastrophic failure back on Earth. I should have succeeded given the obstacles that were placed before me."

"I'll say! You mucked the whole thing up!" exclaimed Tallest Purple. "And the snacks. Don't even get me started on the snacks!"

Red ignored his co-leader. "Despite your massive failure, we admit your plan to take over Earth was rather...good. As it turns out, we have a new proposition for you."

Tak's antennae perked up in excitement. Red continued. "We recently broke the news to a particular _former_ invader that he would be forbidden from returning to any known planet within our control. To put it simply, we need some assistance in containing him."

"Or to kill him," added Purple playfully.

Red waved a hand to hush him. "What he means is, we need someone to keep an eye on him. A REALLY close eye. We exhiled him to that stupid little planet and would like you to make sure he stays there. Permanently."

Tak felt the bloodlust course through her veins in excitment. This was exactly the opportunity she had been hoping for! "I understand my Tallest, and I am honored to receive such an assignment." She bowed to show her respects. "I do have one question though. Will I be allowed to kill him even if he doesn't try to leave?"

Red shrugged. "Well technically I have to answer no, but I think you get the idea." He began to pace around the bridge. "If you choose to accept this mission and succeed, your status as a service drone will be removed and you will be reassigned as an invader. You will be given full elite privileges and when the time comes, even be allowed first pick in Operation Impending Doom III." He stopped pacing and turned to face her. "So...can we count on you to complete this mission soldier?"

Tak stood erect and saluted.

"Very well." Red took a step back and allowed his co-leader to take the lead.

"You will find your new ship ready for you in the hangar," explained Purple. He handed her a holographic information tablet. "It's as assassins ship, nothing special. It's designed to self destruct upon landing, so make sure to gather any necessary equipment before the countdown is initiated. There is also a complimentary acceleration unit installed so won't have to spend months of your time traveling there. Your SIR unit has also been repaired and will be in the hanger waiting for you. Now off you go." He flicked his claws forward to indicate her dismissal.

Tak studied the tablet and bowed again with the utmost respect. "Thank you my leaders. You will not regret this decision. I just have one more question."

"What's that?"

"How soon can I leave?"

 **Author's note:** So what do you guys think? I've been brainstorming this idea for quite a while now and I finally feel I have the basis for a pretty good story. I had an old story with a similar opening called The Kinzak War way back in the day. It was relatively popular, but after rereading it so many years later, I decided I wasn't happy with it and ended up deleting it. I've been reading some other Zim stories that other authors have been re-writing and that inspired me to finally jolt down what's been rattling around in my head for quite some time. So thanks guys! Thanks for sticking around!

I know that a Zim movie is in the works and Zim is supposed to be officially told about his mission, but like I said, I had this idea for a long time and really wanted to get it out there. Personally, after seeing the animation style of the upcoming special, I don't know if I care much for it. In a way, maybe it's meant to be a new Zim style since so many years have passed since the original show. I don't know. Guess we'll all find out soon enough. Also, please don't forget to review! I always love me some good reviews! Till next time!


	2. Cooperation

**Cooperation**

Zim tapped a gloved claw against his chin impatiently. He watched with disdain as Dib jotted down another fresh idea for their potential school project. They were sitting across from one another at a table in the cafeteria, and like most situations when forced to work together, they were arguing more than anything.

"Okay so what about this," suggested Dib, holding up his new design. It was a blueprint illustrated on graph paper of a large machine resting on an even larger body of water. "It's called a desalinization plant. It's purpose is to remove all salt from seawater and it make it drinkable as freshwater. It's nothing new, but I thought we could find a way to design it more efficiently."

Zim reached over and crumpled up the sheet before tossing it into the collection of other rejected proposals. "I despise anything that involves me anywhere near that horrible substance," he spat in disgust. He shuddered re-imagining the searing pain he'd experienced from their infamous water balloon battle.

Dib frowned. "Come on Zim. You've turned down everything else I've come up with. Why can't we just do this one?"

Zim sat up straight. "Idiotic fool! Have you forgotten what that vile liquid does to my skin!

"We don't have to actually be in water to build it," Dib explained. "We'd just be constructing a model. Not building the actual thing!"

"What's the purpose of building something if it doesn't even work!?"

Dib's tone switched to sarcasm. "Gee Zim, I could ask you the same question seeing how HALF THE PLANS you come up with NEVER EVEN SEEM TO WORK!"

In retaliation, Zim jumped up to the top of the table. "You dare question the genius of ZIM!?"

Unwilling to back down, Dib did the same, and like two thick-headed rams, they stubbornly continued to argue. Not realizing their conversation had escalated into a shouting match, they began to draw the attention of those around them, and soon the other students had cranked their necks in an effort to investigate the commotion.

Gaz casually took her usual seat next to her brother, disregarding everyone as she set her tray down onto the table. "Your voices are like sandpaper," she groaned agonizingly. "You do realize everyone's staring at you right?"

The two rivals stopped shouting and simply looked around the room. Realizing the curious looks around them, they both sheepishly climbed down from the table. Satisfied things were back to normal, and not really caring what the unpopular group was up to, the other students forgot the incident and went back to their individual business.

Dib sighed. "Look, we're not getting anywhere by arguing. Let's just build this thing out of some scrap metal or something and then we can get back to repairing your base."

Zim huffed. The idea of using inferior equipment irritated him, but he knew the boy was right. Unlike most other students, the problem wasn't coming up with something they could actually design, but something that wouldn't be too advanced for a simple school project. Zim had made it very clear that his technology was off limits, or at least until his base could be repaired, and that meant they were forced to design something using human equipment. They had no other choice.

Zim eyed him skeptically. "There won't be ANY water involved?"

Dib shook his head. "None that would cause you significant harm."

The Irken frowned and studied the human, contemplating the offer. "Fine. We will build this...desalinization plant. Then what?"

"Then we show it to the judges."

Zim's antennae perked up. "Judges?" he asked intrigued. "Do these people vaporize all of the losing competitors?"

"What? No!" responded Dib, flabbergasted that the Irken would even ask just a bizarre question. "They just pick the top three best projects and reward the winners with a prize."

"I see," stated Zim, bringing a finger to his chin. "So you say these people determine if your work is adequate. Interesting."

"And this year one of them happens to be my dad," continued Dib, ignoring Zim's comment. His posture deflated a little. "He's so excited that I will be building something using REAL science, so it's not like I can get away with anything too simple."

"Pfft. Yeah, thanks for getting him to cancel family night again," griped Gaz. "Just remember, I get to pick the place we eat three times in a row now."

With a tired expression, Dib turned to face his sister. "You know Gaz, there's more to life than pizza."

As if he had just broken her favorite Gameslave, she immediately shot him a death glare. Knowing better than to invoke his sister's infmaous wrath, Dib did his best to let the subject drop. It seemed to be enough to satisfy her, and she turned away tp aggressively bite into her apple, making it a point to chew louder than normal.

Dib rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to Zim. To his curiosity, the alien seemed to be completely lost in thought. "Zim?" he questioned, trying to get his attention.

Zim ignored him and continued looking straight ahead. _Judges?_ he thought, seeing the image of his leaders cloud his mind. __Superiors that decide our worth depending on_ on our performance? _For some reason, the memory disturbed him more than he cared to admit. The small ball of anxiety that he had buried deep down from their rejection slowly began to resurface.

"Zim?" Dib waved his hand in front of the Irken's face, hoping to licit some sort of response. "Hey space boy! I'm talking to you!"

Regaining his focus, Zim violently shook his head, erasing the memory. "What is it stink meat?"

"You blanked out for over a minute," stated Dib. He crossed his arms in suspicion. "You weren't planning on stealing all of the projects at the science fair were you?"

Zim thought on the idea. "No, but now that you mention it, that would be an ingenious plan."

Annoyed, Dib lifted the tiny milk carton from his trey. "Hate to break it to you Zim, but half those projects will probably just be magnet tricks and paper volcanoes spitting up baking soda and vinegar."

"Then I will just have to find a REAL volcano to spit up REAL vinegar!" shouted Zim dramatically. Dib ignored his empty threat and began to sip his milk through a straw.

"No," muttered Zim, still focused on the idea. "With the base inoperable, there's no way I could cause an explosion of that magnitude." He gritted his teeth in frustration. "If only I hadn't destroyed it. CURSE MY DESIRE TO ANNIHILATE EVERYTHING IN MY PATH!"

Dib nearly spat out his milk. "Wait a minute. You destroyed your OWN base?"

Realizing he had just blurted his thoughts out loud, Zim paused and desperately tried to cover up his slip. "Eh. Of course not! What is this nonsense you speak of?"

Still laughing in disbelief, Dib wiped his face with his coat sleeve. "Wow. That's really stupid! Even for you Zim."

Zim crossed his arms. "Quiet stink beast! What I do with my base is none of your business!"

"Hey! You just told me so yourself!"

"Silence!"

As if they were sizing up for a boxing match, they stared each other down from across the table. A solid minute passed before the collective chatter around them became audible again.

Realizing they still weren't getting anywhere, Dib decided to be the first to back down. "Whatever. Just meet me at my house after school and we can get started."

Zim crossed his arms again. "If you insist Earth filth."

* * *

Later that evening, Zim made his way over to the Membrane residence. As he navigated the silent suburban streets, he felt the brisk early-winter chill penetrate his chest. He exhaled, and watched as his breath became partially visible. The weather was getting colder and soon the snowy season would be settling in. He made a mental note that he would need to prepare the base for the temperature change once repairs were complete.

Alongside him faithfully trotted Gir, happily humming an uplifting tune. He had decided to bring the robot along as protection, not that the little SIR unit offered much. Zim would never admit to it, but he had grown quite fond of his idiotic henchman. He tried telling himself that he didn't like the idea of Gir being home alone, but the real reason he had brought him along was because it made him feel more comfortable knowing he had a sure ally nearby, no matter how useless he may be.

He stopped when he reached the front door. For a moment, he considered walking away and leaving the human to fend for himself. What did it matter to him if his arch nemesis failed to succeed at that pathetic excuse for a learning institution? Didn't he want the boy to fail? Wasn't it in his best interest to take any advantage he could get?

He let out a heavy sigh. Of course he could, but he still needed resources. And Dib was the only other human, dare he say it, _smart_ enough to assist him in that department. If he wanted to earn his title back from the Tallest, he was going to have to suck up his pride.

Reluctantly, he stuck out a claw and rang the door bell. It was only a brief second before the door creaked open in front of him.

"Why hello there," greeted the professor. He was dressed in usual white lab coat and goggles and as always, had his mouth hidden behind his massive coat collar. "You must be here to help my son with his school project. It's so nice to see him practicing REAL science for a change! I'm sure you two will do a splendid job! He's waiting for you in the garage."

"Uh, thanks," replied Zim awkwardly. The professor shut the door and Zim made his way around to the garage. He banged on the door impatiently. After a few seconds, it opened just enough for he and Gir could slip under. Once they were clear, it closed again behind them.

Zim looked around. The garage was no more than an ordinary human storage room. There were boxes stacked in the corner with a medium sized ladder hiding among them, tools lining the back wall, and in the middle, a sturdy workbench where Dib was currently fusing some metal together with a blowtorch. Zim squinted as the brightness of the flame reflected across the human's protective face shield.

He approached Dib cautiously, keeping a watchful eye out for any hidden traps. Noticing the Irken's apprehension, Dib finished up the segment he was working on and switched off the blowtorch. "I didn't set anything up here to capture you," he said bluntly before lifting up the mask. "You don't have to worry about your disguise either. My dad will be heading back to the lab soon."

Zim pointed a claw at the human. 'Ha! I knew it! You think I would fall for letting my guard down so your HIDEOUS father could catch me out of my disguise? I knew you couldn't be trusted. Come on Gir, we're leaving!"

Dib watched as Zim turned to leave. "I'm being serious," he stated, his tone somewhat solemn. "He was leaving for work just before you showed up. He'll be gone at his lab for at least the next four hours."

Zim halted and turned back around. "And what exactly is stopping him from opening the door to check on you? Isn't that something you humans do? Say goodbye to one another before you leave somewhere?"

Dib remained quiet. The fabric of his coat seemed to suddenly capture his attention. "Trust me. He won't."

Zim tilted his head, trying to decide if it was some kind of a trick. The boy's sudden melancholy behavior made him feel uneasy, but somehow, it seemed truthful. He felt there was more the Earth creature was trying to convey, and for some strange reason, it resonated with him.

Shaking off the unpleasant sensations, Zim reached into his PAK and pulled out a small laser tool. It was no bigger than a pen and was encased in a foreign metal with a small switch attached.

Dib cocked his head at the device. "I thought you said we couldn't use any of your technology?" he stated mockingly.

Zim glared back at him. "I refuse to have my name associated with such mediocre efforts." He turned toward his metallic minion. "Gir! Initiate command function 42!"

Gir squealed in excitement. "That's my favorite function!" Jumping out of his pathetic dog disguise, the little robot quickly dashed over and hopped up onto the work table. To Dib's amazement, the minion's head split open like a jig saw puzzle, and a long, skinny robotic arm extended outward. Once out, the arm flickered a flash of light and at the end, a holographic projection of a grid appeared.

It settled on the structure Dib had been working on, illuminating it in a blue, net-like mesh. Saying nothing, Zim approached the grid and with precise accuracy, began highlighting all of the inaccuracies Dib had left unchecked. Anywhere the tiny laser pen touched, the area lit up with a yellow glow.

"Hehe. It tickles," giggled Gir.

Ignoring his companion, Zim continued to work in silence. Once finished, he pushed a button on his device and the grid vanished, causing the metallic arm sticking out of Gir's head to retreat back inside.

Dib stared the markings in awe. The marks that Zim had made were still illuminated and seemed to be doing something to the metallic structure. Utterly fascinated by the level of tech the alien had at his disposal, he poked one of the them to see if it was real. Feeling a stinging sensation against his delicate flesh, he quickly jerked his hand back.

"It's a quantum equalizer field," Zim explained, annoyed at the human's ignorance. "It will automatically even out all of the areas that are unstable, reinforcing the structure and making it stronger. Once the glow fades away, it should be safe to handle again."

Dib continued to study the structure further, still amazed at the marvel he had just witnessed. It made him wonder what other kind of gadgets the alien had at his disposal.

Assuming the human was ignoring him, Zim turned to take his leave. "Now, if that's all you require of me, Gir and I will be heading back to base. There is still much work that needs to be done!"

Dib watched the two of them exit the garage. "Hang on!" he called out. Zim halted and turned around to face him, clearly annoyed by the delay.

Dib rubbed the back of his neck nervously. He knew he was going against his better judgement, but he really wanted to see more advanced technology. He was sure what he had just witnessed had only been a sample of what the alien had hidden back at the base. "Since you've already helped on your end and this is supposed to take a few hours, you think I could start on my part of the bargain and help you out with some of the base's repairs?"

Zim gave Dib a suspicious look. "And how can I trust that you won't steal any of my technology, human?"

Dib raised a hand honorably. "As long as you don't try and destroy me while I'm down there, I promise won't take anything from your labs."

Zim narrowed his eyes. He did not like the idea of allowing his rival to meddle in his base, but he knew he could use the extra help for the repairs. Gir was useless and Mimimoose could only do so much.

He took a moment to think it over. "Hmm, very well," he said with disgust. "But if you steal anything, I will melt your legs into soup for my robot."

Gir squealed in excitement. "Yaaaaay! Soup!"

* * *

The next several weeks passed and the model for the science project was nearly complete. True to his word, Dib held off from installing any water components until Zim had completed the finishing touches. To both their astonishment, they even managed to finish their construction without inserting a single piece of Irken tech. And thanks to Zim's tools, the final product actually looked quite impressive.

Sitting about four feet high, the model rested in a shallow pool consisting of only a few inches of salt water, carefully measured and limited at the request of Zim. It contained a miniature generator that powered the demonstration pump and a dispenser for the final product. They were just finishing up their display booth when one of the school teachers approached them.

"It's so good to see you boys finally working together," said the male teacher, his voice high pitched and overly flamboyant. "I was really worried we were going to have to send you two off to that new summer school they've built on the other side of town. You know, the one with the smoke? I've never actually seen anybody come back from there, but it's good it all worked out huh."

Dib winced. "Uh, yeah. Thanks Mr. Ray," he said awkwardly, hoping the teacher would leave them alone.

"Well, I'm off to take my seat to hear them announce the winner," replied the teacher. "Good luck to both of you!"

Once he was out of earshot, the two rivals let out a sigh of relief. "Geez. What a creep," griped Dib. "I can't believe he is going to be our teacher next year."

Zim crossed his arms. "Yes. I found his lack of intelligence most unsettling."

Dib nodded, but quickly did a double take. "Wait. Did you just agree with me?"

"Like I'd ever agree on anything with you worm monkey."

"No really, I thought you just said-" Before Dib could finish his sentence, he spotted his father and the other judges heading their way. "Hey! They're headed this way!" Jumping into action, he began frantically applying the finishing touches to the project. Zim, not daring to get close to the device, let the boy work. He made sure to take a step back as Dip connected the main pump. He had bathed in extra paste the previous night just to be sure, but it didn't hurt to maintain a little distance just in case.

Dib frantically switched the device on and it began pumping water almost immediately. "Hey! It works!" he cheered triumphantly.

Zim scoffed. "Of course it works. It was made by ZIM!"

"Calm down space boy. It was MY idea."

Interrupting their potential argument, the judges approached the booth and Professor Membrane stepped in front of the group. "Hello son! I am eager to see what you have to present to us today. It's so great to see you practicing REAL science for a change!"

Dib reveled in the irony. _If only he knew that it had been built with the help of an alien,_ he thought. He held a hand up to explain their project. "So Dad, I know you've had some discussions with the world leaders about a potential water supply problem in the future, so I thought this would come in handy." He reached up and flipped on the switch to the pump. The machine began to function normally. The professor raised a finger to his exaggerated collar to show he was thinking.

Dib continued, "Unlike conventional desalinization plants, this one can be placed directly in the water, and it separates salt in half the time! I can even be solar powered depending on location."

Dib continued explaining the device for the next few minutes, carefully mapping out every last detail. When the demonstration was over, the surrounding judges clapped and nodded in approval.

The professor, however, remained quiet and continued to study the model. Dib waited nervously for his response.

"Yes, I suppose this is rather impressive," he stated casually.

Dib felt his pulse quicken, and he watched as his father repeatedly pinched the chin area of his coat collar. "Hmmm. Yes! Very nice work son!" The googles bent in a way that could be seen as a smile. "I will see that my staff passes on this idea to their engineers immediately." He gave Dib a quick pat on the head and then turned his focus on Zim. To the Irken's surprise, the professor reached out his gloved hand.

Zim eyed the gesture, confused. Unlike shaking hands with the Dib-human, this situation was different. The professor was an icon of authority and towered over him much like his former leaders did. As a loyal member to the empire, Zim had been programed since his hatching to fear and respect those above him in positions of power. Being suddenly treated as an equal was equally confusing as it was foreign to him.

Going against his instincts, he reluctantly returned the professor's handshake. Professor Membrane chuckled. "It's so good to see my son finally working so well with others. You two have done a fine job." With that small praise, he released Zim's hand and continued on to judge the other students' projects.

Dib let out a sigh of relief and turned to look over at Zim. To his surprise, the alien was still studying his hand as if it was the first time he had ever laid eyes on it. Inquisitively, Dib gave him a small poke, causing him to let out a small yelp.

"Man, what's up with you today Zim?" Dib asked, looking at him warily. "You're acting way weirder than normal."

Zim crossed his arms. "I do not know what you are talking about Dib-stink," he said non-convincingly.

Dib frowned. "Oh come on Zim. You practically froze up when talking to my dad! Only fanboys ever do that!"

"Zim is no fan of boys or any of you pig smellies!" shouted Zim, not fully understanding the meaning of the term. "I've just...never been recognized for my efforts before is all." He awkwardly turned his back to Dib, not wanting him to see the expression that followed. He wasn't sure why he had let such a vulnerable confession slip, especially to his arch enemy. His goal had been to get the human off his back, not stir up more questions. Still, it had felt good to be praised for his work for a change. The only thing his former leaders ever did was laugh at him behind his back when he presented anything. It had been only a small taste of recognition, but part of him secrectly craved more of it.

Intrigued, Dib diligently studied his rival. The Irken had never revealed anything so personal to him before. Considering how much he zealously boasted about himself, Dib had always assumed Zim was an elite member of the Empire sent to Earth to conquer it for his people. He had always wondered though, if Zim was supposed to be so dangerous, why had a mere child like him been able to stop him? After being granted access to the base, he had certainly seen the level of tech the alien possessed. Surely anyone with that kind of weaponry would have disposed of him and conquered the planet by now.

Of course, there was the obvious reason. Even Dib had picked up on Zim not being the brightest individual in the universe. He may have been smarter than the average human and capable of handling more advanced technology, but he was still a moron. Dib snickered remembering the time Zim thought wearing a suit of hamburger meat would protect him from germs. He ended up missing a whole week of school from the infected burns. And then the time Zim thought driving into an asteroid belt to outwit him was a test of his piloting skills. Too bad Gir had stolen his camera. It would have been great footage to send to the Swollen Eyeball.

Noticing the awkward silence and not wanting to allow the human another chance to pry further, Zim turned to take his leave. "I'm going home," he stated bluntly. "The project is complete, and I no longer require your services to help me repair the base. From this point on, consider our truce obsolete."

Dib watched him go. He knew he should have been relieved, but he actually felt disappointed. Neither one of them wanted to admit it, but the two of them had worked quite well together the last few months, and rather than trying to kill each other round the clock, Dib had actually been enjoying cooperation for a change.

Gathering his belongings, Dib noticed his father approaching with Gaz in tow. She was too engrossed with her GameSlave2 to pay the slightest attention to anyone around her. The professor, standing erect, was in a chipper mood. "Excellent work today son!" he said happily. "See what you can accomplish when you put your mind to using REAL science!"

Dib smiled uncomfortably. "Yeah Dad, it sure was great," he said, trying to hide his disappointment.

The professor eyed his son suspiciously. It was then he noticed Zim's absence. "Say, what happened to your little foreign friend? He should be here for when you two collect your prize."

Dib stopped packing. "Wait. What prize?" he asked confused. He had figured since his dad was one of the judges, he and Zim were barred from any of the winning slots.

"The winners of this year's science fair get their project built in the real world by my team of talented engineers and are given the opportunity to take part in observing its construction," explained the professor. "I wasn't allowed to cast my personal vote, but the other judges unanimously agreed you and your little friend's desalinization plant was the best idea they've seen all year. Congratulations son!"

Dib stared at his father in disbelief. Not only was it shocking that he had actually won, but that his father was actually proud of something he had done. Allowing a small smile, he stood up properly to face him. "Uh, thanks Dad, but you can stop calling Zim my friend. We just had to work together on this science project because our teacher forced us to and-"

The professor held up a finger. "Now, now son. He still helped you build it, so he still gets an equal share in the credit. I expect BOTH of you to meet me at my lab on the coast next month. I should have most of the preparations completed by then, assuming my new assistant hasn't accidentally mixed up any of my formulas."

"But what about Christmas?" asked Gaz angrily, interjecting herself into the conversation.

The professor knelt down and patted her on the head. "Now now, not to worry honey. I made sure to book it a year in advance. We won't be starting construction until after the new year."

Satisfied, Gaz let out a brief smirk and went back to her GameSlave.

Dib watched as his father pressed a button on his communicator. No more than a few seconds later, a group of engineers in uniform barged in and surrounded the area like a hornet's nest. Dib was careful to step out of their way as they swarmed around to collect the model, along with a few of the scattered parts here and there. When they were done, they left as quickly as they came.

"Now then," stated the professor. "I have a few minutes before having to head over to shoot an episode for my show. What would you two like for lunch?"

 **Author's note:** I've always felt the professor was never actually a bad father, but that he was just always just too busy working. It's clear in the series that he's disappointed his son would rather focus on conspiracy theories than follow in his father's footsteps. At the same time, he is also a very powerful icon, and I feel that despite him being a human, Zim would still feel somewhat intimidated being around him. I know this chapter didn't have a whole lot going on, but most of the content is focused on the interactions between the characters and between Dib and his father. Hopefully you guys still enjoyed it! Don't forget to let me know what you think in the reviews!


	3. Christmas Eve

**Christmas Eve  
**

Zim looked up at the evening sky as the delicate flakes of snow fluttered down from the passing clouds. It was Christmas Eve, and now that the cold weather had finally settled in, everything around him was coated in a light white soft blanket. Unlike the rainy season, the snow didn't bother him, or at not least until the warmer months came around and threatened to melt everything. During this chilly time of year, he could mostly count on it remaining in its solid form. But just to be sure, he still applied an extra layer of paste that morning as an added measure.

Bundled up in a semi-puffy coat and scarf, he casually strolled through the downtown area in the nearby city. His unusual winter attire was chosen partly to blend with the people around him, but it was also the best he could do to keep himself warm. Despite his PAK helping regulate most of his body temperature, his species was still sensitive to extreme environments, and like any living organism, he would freeze if he allowed his molecules to get cold enough.

He continued down the sidewalk with Gir by his side. The happy-go-lucky robot joyfully pounced into a nearby pile of white fluff and proceeded to make a snow angel. Zim, having his mind on other things, ignored his minion. He had received the news from Dib several weeks ago about winning the science fair and was still trying to decide the best course of action. On one hand, he liked the idea of putting his skills out in the open to be recognized again. The feeling of being praised for his efforts was intoxicating and he had never felt quite anything like it before. On the other, he was well aware of the risks. Not only would he be near the coast where a large body of water resided, but more importantly, he would be surrounded by dozens of scientists in the Professor's lab, all who would pounce at the opportunity to study a live extraterrestrial.

The thought made his skin crawl.

For no particular reason, he stopped in front of one of the shop's windows and took a look at the cardboard display inside. Through the semi-frosted glass, he could see a large diorama of a happy family gathering around their Christmas tree to open presents. On the side was an advertisement that read:

Family is what Christmas is all about. Get them the gift that will make them smile the most!

Zim snorted at the idea. _What a stupid tradition these humans celebrated._ He continued on past the other shops, trying to ignore their festive decorations and colorful lighting. _What was it about this event that gets them all jolly and excited?_ he wondered. He remembered the time he had constructed his own Santa suit last year to hijack the holiday and enslave its followers, only to have his plan backfire when the suit took on a mind of its own. Luckily Dib had busted a hole through it, allowing him the opportunity to escape. It was not an idea he would soon be visiting again.

His mind shifted gears as he thought about the lengths the human had gone to to prevent him from ruining Christmas that year. He couldn't understand why this particular holiday meant so much to the boy, or to any of the humans for that matter. Wasn't it just some stupid tradition about exchanging gifts, chopping down a pine tree, and shoving colorful boxes underneath while a terrifying jolly fat-man in a red suit invaded their homes? It made no sense. Why did it matter so much to them?

Zim solemnly strolled by the shops. He shoved his gloved claws into his coat pockets and stared at the ground, hoping to avoid eye contact with anyone. Too lost in thought and not paying the slightest bit of attention, he soon found himself colliding with an all too familiar black coat.

"Oof. Hey watch it Zim!" exclaimed Dib, annoyed that he had almost dropped the stack boxes he was carrying.

Before Zim could say anything, Gir bounced up excitedly to greet the boy. "Oooo HI big-headed kid! Are you out buying presents too!?"

Dip shook off the snow that had collected on his coat arms. "Well I WAS until-" He paused. "Hey wait." He turned to face Zim. " Why are YOU out buying presents Zim? Seems an odd thing for an _invader_ to spend time on."

Zim stood up and brushed off the snow that had gathered on him as well. "Fool! What makes you think I would take part in such nonsense?"

"Well it's just strange to see you out here and- Wait a minute. What are you doing out in the snow anyway? Don't you know there's a blizzard on its way?"

"Of course I know that tiny meat brain head! I was just uh..." Zim struggled to come up with a good excuse, but nothing came to mind. The truth was, he really didn't have a good reason. Ever since the science fair, he had been rather unproductive in coming up with any new world domination plans. Once the base repairs had been completed, he had immediately taken to prepping the outside for the cooler conditions. Once that was complete, he and Gir had spent most of their time staying inside and watching movies and various TV shows while he zoned out on the couch.

Dib waited patiently for an answer, but Zim remained silent. He studied the Irken suspiciously. By working closely with his rival the last few months, he had come to learn a bit more about the alien's quirks. Normally Zim at least bluffed having a new plan to destroy Dib and all of humanity, but lately it seemed he lacked the motivation he previously vaunted. Dib found he no longer had reason to spy on him constantly, and for the most part, their interactions had become surprisingly civil. During lunch, he still found Zim sitting across from them at their usual table. The science fair had ended weeks ago and for some odd reason, he still found his arch enemy willing to sit only a few feet away. They no longer tried to outdo one another in the classroom. Anytime they were forced to pick partners in class, they found themselves pairing up much quicker than before. Even Zim's usual threats seemed to grow empty and tiring. If Dib didn't know any better, it was almost as if the Irken had finally given up.

Realizing he had been standing silent in the snow for far too long, Dib shook the thoughts from his head. "Never mind," he said flatly, dropping the subject. Suddenly, the beeping alarm on his wrist caught his attention. He rolled up his sleeve to check the time on his watch. His heart sank. "Great. Thanks a lot Zim. I needed to get back and wrap these things before Gaz gets home and finds out that I waited until the last minute." Anxiously looking for a solution and not really giving it second thought, he glanced upat the Irken. "Hey, you think you could give me a ride?"

Zim looked back and forth between the gifts and the human in disgust. "DO YOU HAVE BRAIN WORMS!?" he asked, clearly insulted by such a preposterous request. "What makes you think I'd help YOU?"

Dib paused for a moment. "Right. Good point."To be honest, he wasn't really sure why he'd even asked. Turning around to face the road, he stuck two fingers in his mouth and whistled loudly. A nearby cab immediately came to a stop in front of them. He proceeded to stroll past Zim to open the door. For once, he had more important matters to attend to and wasn't really in the mood to argue. And it looked like Zim didn't have any new plans to destroy the world anyway.

Zim watched as Dib ignored him and loaded the boxes into the cab. His anger boiled. _The Dib? Ignoring me?_ He turned to face his nemesis. "How dare you walk away from me you filthy pig beast! Hey! I'm talking to you! Hey! Hey! Hey!"

In too much of a rush, Dib ignored him and finished loading up the boxes. When he was done, he walked over to the other side of the cab and without a second glance, slipped into the back seat and shut the door behind him. The cab took off in a hurry, leaving Zim stranded at the curb.

Zim growled. "Flee now foolish human!" he shouted as the cab vanished off in the distance. "But you will regret it. For tonight will be the last night you will ever-"

He paused when he realized the pedestrians around him were staring in bewilderment. "Eh, I mean...Merry Christmas to all you jolly shoppers. Yes. Go about your buying of nog egg and building of ginger-man houses."

With their curiosity satisfied, the surrounding shoppers resumed going about their business. Irritated, Zim grated his teeth together. "Come on Gir! I cannot allow that bothersome dirt child to get away that easily."

Obeying, Gir ceased gobbling down snowballs and hopped to follow his master.

* * *

Barely making it back home with enough time to spare, Dib dumped the collection of boxes on the living room floor. Grabbing some nearby wrapping paper and scissors, he began wrapping them at factory speed. He did his best to make them appear as festive and presentable as possible while struggling with a roll of scotch tape. He was about halfway done when the front doorbell rang.

Already aware of who it likely was, he groaned and apathetically made his way over to the front door. Sure enough, Zim was there to greet him with Gir by his side.

Unlike when walking through the city, Zim had shed his bulgy coat and was back to wearing his usual uniform. Dib crossed his arms. He had been around Zim long enough to know that in cold weather, the Irken only refused to bundle up when he was sure he would be heading back to his base quickly. No doubt Zim was convinced victory was already assured.

"What do you want?" he asked, annoyed at the interruption.

Zim smirked. "Behold at my latest plan! The Flurry Cannon!" he shouted dramatically pointing to the medium sized cannon Gir was barely managing to balance with his meager body weight. "This device will shoot giant snowballs at high velocity, trapping you and your GIANT head in a furry of snowball madness so powerful that you will be able to do NOTHING but surrender at the hands of me, ZIM!"

Dib blinked a few times and stared back at the alien unimpressed. "So let me get this straight," he said bluntly. "You are going to try and use snow to trap me in my own house on the same night a blizzard is supposed to come through? Is that right?"

Zim's posture straightened upright. "YOU DARE QUESTION ME!? Gir! Give the human a taste of our snowy vengeance!"

Gir let out an excited, maniacal giggle and readily fired the cannon. With a loud thump, a giant snowball the size of a boulder emerged at lightening speed and collided with its nearby target. Unfortunately for Zim, the recipient just so happened to be the same one who had shouted the orders.

Dib stared at the now unconscious Zim lying face down in the snow. Not impressed or threatened in the slightest, he simply shut the door and went back to his task of wrapping gifts.

Regaining consciousness a few seconds later, Zim wearily pushed himself up from the fresh blanket of snow that was covering him. His eyes widened as he noticed another snow ball hurdling toward him. He rolled out of the way. Gir was still firing hysterically, hitting street lights, parked cars, mailboxes, and generally anything within the vicinity. Angry, Zim sprinted over and yanked the overheating cannon from his minion. "Enough Gir!" he shouted, tossing it to the side. "This plan is a failure. We will need to come up with something even more clever to get back at the Earth child."

Instead of heading back to the base, he remained in the front yard of the house, desperately trying to think up with any new ideas. Frustrated, he resorted to shouting maniacal threats at the house to lure the human back out. "That's right pathetic squirrel boy! Squabble and hide from your merciless doom or come out and accept your defeat at the hands of ZIM!"

Smiling devilishly, he waited anxiously for a response, but there was nothing but silence. Outraged and unwilling to swallow his pride and return home, he stubbornly continued to shout more and more insults. As the intensity of his threats increased, so did the snowfall around him. Despite the signs of the impending storm, he remained where he stood.

 _He has to come out sometime_ , he thought maliciously. _I'll just wait._

* * *

An hour or so later, Dib finally finished wrapping all of the gifts. He had just placed them under the tree when his sister and father returned home.

"Oh hello son," greeted the professor cheerfully. "Good to see you made it home with the gifts okay." Gaz, completely ignoring her bother, strolled past him to the couch without even looking up from her Game Slave. The professor waited until she was out of earshot before leaning down and whispering to his son. "I hope you remembered to get something for your sister this year," he said softly, holding one of his hands against his coat collar to block his voice.

Dib nodded reassuringly. "I got it covered Dad. And I picked up everything from the store like you asked."

The professor beamed. "Good work son!" he said happily while straightening back up. "Say, that reminds me. Your little foreign friend is waiting outside. You should invite him in before the weather picks up."

Dib cocked his head in confusion. "Zim? You mean he's still out there?" He hurried over to look out the frost covered window. Breathing a puff of hot air against the glass, he used his coat sleeve to wipe away a circle big enough to see through. Sure enough, Zim was still standing in the front yard shivering while Gir gleefully danced around him tossing snowballs in the air.

Dib went over and cracked the door open to take a closer look. The heavy snowfall made it difficult to see clearly, but he could just make out a faint, outlined figure off in the distance. Feeling the chill from the icy wind, he stepped outside and walked over to where the alien was standing. He stopped only a few feet away.

The sight was pathetic. Zim was covered from head to toe in fresh snow that he he hadn't bothered to shake off for some reason. Ice had formed around his uniform and gloves, his feet were buried in at least a foot or two of fresh powder, and he had started trembling profoundly from the severe cold. Finally, to top it all off, he was still trying to insult the boy.

"I n-new you would b-b-be back g-gullible s-s-stink creature."

Crossing his arms, Dib stared back at him. "You just don't know when do give up do you?"

Zim tried to batter up another insult, but his shivering body and frozen limbs made it too difficult for him speak clearly. Dib sighed. "Come on space boy. Follow me."

Not really sure where this sudden compassion was coming from, he yanked part of Zim's uniform, pulling him out of his snowy prison. Normally Dib would have had no problem leaving his idiotic arch-enemy out in the cold to freeze to death, but maybe the spirit of the holiday had finally gotten the better of him. Or maybe it was just part of being human. He wasn't sure. Without dwelling on it further, he guided the Irken back to the safety of his home.

Zim, on the other hand, wanted nothing more than to swat the boy's hand away. The very idea of accepting help from a lesser being when in such a vulnerable state disgusted him. He struggled to shoo away the human's grasp on his clothing.

Understanding his request, Dib released him, but still continued to break the snow ahead to make it easier for him to keep up. Zim grunted. He viewed the gesture as an insult. However, considering the alternative, he knew he probably wouldn't last much longer standing out in the worsening storm. Without resisting further, he reluctantly followed Dib inside.

Upon entering the house, Zim immediately felt the warmth from the heated air begin to thaw his body. They passed through the hallway by the kitchen. The professor who was tinkering with some sort of device, noticed them and stepped forward.

"Dad, is it okay if Zim stays with us until the storm dies down?" Dib asked.

His father briefly stopped tinkering and looked down at the two of them. "Why of course son. In fact, if you two are interested, you may be able to help me test out my new anti-santa device I've been working on. Oh how I _despise_ that jolly red con artist."

"Uh, no thanks. Maybe later Dad," said Dib disregarding his father's bizarre holiday obsession. _Geez, and he thinks I'm the one who's crazy._ He motioned for Zim to follow him into the living room where the fire place was going.

Dib hopped up onto the couch and Zim took a seat on the floor closest to the fire. Bringing his hands to rub his arms, he felt the blazing heat slowly return feeling to his appendages. He scowled. The prickling feeling irritated him, but he was thankful to be out of the storm.

Taking a moment to absorb his surroundings, Zim looked around the living room. Everything was fully prepped and decorated for the holiday. Streams of colorful lights and ornaments draped around the nearby Christmas tree, traditional red stockings dangled over the roaring fireplace, plates of various holiday cookies covered the coffee table, and an overall lingering scent of cinnamon was drifting in somewhere from the kitchen.

Zim glanced over at Gir who had chosen to cuddle up next to him by the fire place. His minion, who was still in his dog disguise, had decided to take a nap while his units thawed. Closing his eyes and breathing in deeply, Zim felt a strange calm wash over him for some reason. He wasn't sure why, but at that moment, all his willingness to fight seemed to simply melt away. The animosity that he had harbored against the humans had somehow been replaced with meager indifference, and the scorching hatred he had felt only moments ago toward his arch enemy had dissipated into mild irritation.

Before he could dwell on his thoughts too deeply, a burning sensation on his arm broke his concentration. At first he thought his uniform had possibly caught fire, but he soon realized it was not flame that was searing his skin, but the frozen ice melting into water. Fidgeting, he desperately tried to wipe away the liquid, but it was pointless. The more he agitated it, the more it blistered. Feeling the discomfort getting worse, he jumped up from the floor.

Dib watched in confusion as Zim fidgeted and flailed about. _What suddenly had him so worked up?_ he wondered. With the scent of burning flesh reaching his nostrils, it didn't take him long to realize what was happening. Hopping down from the couch, he quickly dashed down the hall. When he returned, he approached Zim and tossed a fresh, clean towel at his feet.

Battling against the severe pain, Zim grabbed the soft fabric and began frantically dabbing himself dry. He didn't understand. He knew he applied a layer of paste that morning. Perhaps with the extreme cold, the solution may have became ineffective upon freezing.

With the burning sensation finally dissipated, he calmed down and took a few heavy breaths. He looked up at Dib suspiciously and then back at the towel in his hand. _I don't undertand,_ he thought, confused. _First the human invites me into his home and then he hands me this? Is he TRYING to insult me by showing he is superior?_ Zim took a few steps closer. Dib noticed him, but before he could say anything, Zim threw the towel back at him with full force.

"What IS this?" demanded Zim, his tone both angry and confused.

Dib removed the towel from his face. "It's called a towel genius," he stated, casting the now damp fabric aside. "You were covered in water and I know how that stuff affects you, so I gave you something for you to dry yourself off."

"Nice try Earth stink, but you will not outwit the likes of ZIM!" he shouted back. "Now tell me! What horrible substance did you lace that device with?"

"Are you insane?" questioned Dib, not believing the accusation he was hearing. "It's just a towel Zim. There's nothing wrong with it. Here. See for yourself!"

"YOU LIE! You squirmy filthy dirt monkey full of LIES!" Zim frantically swatted the fabric away.

Frustrated, Dib threw the towel to the ground. "Really Zim, if I had wanted you dead, I would have just left you outside to freeze."

"That was a mistake on your part foolish Earth boy. What reasoning could you POSSIBLY have for keeping your enemy alive?"

Dib hopped down from the couch. "Well for starters, it would be really difficult explaining to my dad what happened to you when we go to work on the new construction project at his lab next week."

Zim's posture relaxed slightly. He took a moment to register Dib's reasoning. "Hmm. I see." He glanced at the weather outside the windows. "And I suppose you expect me to stay captive here until this storm blows over?"

"Well not captive, but yeah. Unless you want to freeze to death in a blizzard."

"Nonsense. No weather can defeat me!" stated Zim proudly. He began heading towards the front door.

Dib watched him apprehensively. "Seriously Zim, I really wouldn't open that door if I were you."

"Stupid human. Your meager storms are nothing compared to-" Zim stopped when he opened the door at looked up. Looming above him was a five foot wall of fresh, unstable snow. Zim stared up at the intimidating barrier. His antennae flattened under his wig as it threatened to topple over. He shut the door abruptly. "On second thought, maybe Gir and I will just wait it out."

Dib gave him a sarcastic look. "Listen Zim, this is the one time of year my dad is home for an extended amount of time and I just want this year to be a normal Christmas. No having to stop any of your crazy plans for taking over the world, no trying to kill one another. Just a normal quiet holiday with my family. Understand?"

Zim looked back at the boy displeased. "Why you humans set aside everything to act all jolly for one day I'll never know," he said bluntly. "What's the purpose of faking compassion if you just return to the way things were a day after?"

Dib crossed his arms. "Didn't they have celebrations on your home planet?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course," answered Zim, standing upright and proper. "Glorious celebrations of destruction, conquering, and snacking. The Foodening is one of our biggest events."

"The Foodening?" questioned Dib skeptically. "Is eating snacks and conquoring all your race ever thinks about?"

Feeling insulted, Zim crossed his arms and turned his head away. "As if your pitiful Earth snacks could ever compare to ours Dib stink!"

Sensing the opportunity for competition, Dib sneered. "That sounds like a challenge space boy. Why don't we go into the kitchen and see what kind of Earth snacks you can handle."

* * *

No more than a few hours later, Zim, Dib, Gaz, and Gir all found themselves scrunched together on the couch surrounded by empty bags of Flamin' Hot Cheezos, half eaten ginger bread cookies, fruit gummies, and any other kinds of junk food they could find. With each of them holding candy canes between their teeth, they were currently trying to outwit each other in the new multiplayer game Dib had bought for Gaz as an early Christmas gift. Gaz, of course, had shown them up easily with her superior gaming skills. It eventually came down to Dib and Zim having to join the same team to take down the unstoppable gaming tyrant. When the final blow stuck her character, Gaz disappointingly saw the dreaded words _Game Over_ appear on her corner of the screen.

"Victory for Zim!" Zim shouted triumphantly, throwing his arms up into the air.

Dib smiled. "Yeah! That was awesome when you trapped her in the lava cave and then I surprised her with the laser cannon!" he added with a laugh.

"You two better can it before I teleport you to a nightmare world of no return," Gaz threatened.

"Oh come on Gaz. You win every time," griped Dib. "Can't you just let Zim and I have this one?"

Unamused, Gaz gave her brother a scary look. "Hey, who had to take over and save your butt when Zim hijacked your brain and was beating the crap out of you with the nanobots last year?" she questioned, jabbing a finger into his chest.

Remembering the incident, Zim immediately burst into laughter, causing Dib to blush sheepishly out of embarrassment. "Yeah well, I-" He glared at Zim annoyed. "Hey, at least I didn't think I was invisible stomping around town in a giant robot that everyone could see me in."

Zim stopped laughing. "Foolish human! That hunter-destroyer unit was state of the art Irken engineering and was a gift from the Tallest. I would have annihilated you down to smothering remains if it hadn't been for the power outage," he spat back.

"Pfft. Yeah, the power outage YOU caused," Dib said sarcastically. "Too bad that was the ONLY time your leaders ever sent you anything useful."

Dib waited for Zim to jab back with another playful remark, but the alien suddenly went quiet. Dib was confused. He wasn't sure what he had said, but it seemed he had hit some sort of raw nerve. All he had done was poke fun at Zim's failure of a plan to destroy him. What could have been so special about that? It wasn't like it was anything new. Still, the awkward silence between them couldn't have been more apparent.

Not giving the human a chance to pry further, Zim promptly cleared his throat. "Yes well. What other entertainment devices do you have prepared for tonight?" he asked, hoping to deter the conversation.

Deciding to let the moment slide, Dib got up and approached the game console. "Gaz and I have been working on this one for months," he explained, popping in a new disk. "We've never defeated the final boss, but it should be a lot easier with four players."

The four of them continued to play games well into the night. Eventually, Zim found he was the only one still awake. Gaz had been the first to head off to bed. Shortly after, Dib passed out, drooling on the couch. The professor had long since retreated to his master bedroom, and Gir was in a sugar coma on the floor after eating the last of the many frosted cookies.

Zim stared at the tv screen. The lighting bounced off his face as it illuminated the area around him, causing a ghost like shadow to dance behind him. He tried to concentrate on the game, but found his mind drifting to other thoughts. He simply didn't understand what was happening. There was something strange about the way he had been feeling lately and no matter how many times he wrapped his head around it, it still didn't make any sense to him. For as long as he could remember, he had only found joy in destruction, annihilation, and world domination. It was all he knew. It was all he was trained to know. But something about the events from tonight had been different. Instead of despising the humans and constantly trying to prove his superiority, he actually hadn't minded sharing equal grounds with them. Instead of belittling Dib and his family's traditions, he found himself intrigued and willing to learn more about them.

As despised as he was to admit it, it had actually been...kind of fun.

Pausing the game console, he set down the controller and got up to take a peak outside. It was pitch black and the storm was still in full force. Shying away from the window, he made his way into the kitchen. He looked around the room. The place looked as if it had been ransacked after he and Dib had collected as many snacks as they could find. He had to admit, they hadn't ALL been bad. However, he would have no problem going the rest of his life without another flaming hot Cheese Crunchy.

He glanced up at the time illuminated on the microwave.

 _2:03 AM._

He sighed. It would be at least another five more hours before the Earth's sun came back into view. With little else to do, he went back into the living room and switched on the news channel. Sensing it was safe enough now that everyone was asleep, he disconnected his PAK and brought it around in front of him. Repairing any units that may have been damaged from the ice, he kept himself preoccupied as the the hours ticked by.

* * *

 **Meanwhile:**

 _Proximity warning: Planet Ahead_

The warning signal beeped mildly on Tak's control panel. They were only a few hundred miles from Earth and her ship was closing in to the planet's atmosphere at rapid speed. Her expression grew stern as the location of the one she so woefully despised came into view.

 _Finally, after all this time, I am back._

Her claws tightened as thoughts of Zim poisoned her mind. How she despised that self-centered, arrogant, egotistical maniac. His zealous overconfidence and how he ran about boasting greatness while so miserably failing at everything irked her to the very core. She couldn't stomach the fact that someone like him had managed to outdo her. Twice. How was it even possible? She was the one who had struggled and worked harder than anyone! She was the one who wanted more than anything to become an invader! How was it that in one fowl swoop, he managed to rob her from her entire future?

Dismissing the negative thoughts from her head, she programmed in the landing coordinates. She had chosen a secrete location in the distant countryside where they wouldn't be seen or draw too much attention. Not that it mattered much anyway. The humans were always so oblivious. If Zim could get away with his pathetic excuse for a disguise and she with her giant weenie stand, then there was no reason to suspect anyone would question a lone child out for a midnight stroll in the middle of nowhere.

Leaving the controls to autopilot, she ventured to the back area behind the cockpit. Gathering any necessary equipment, she carefully stuffed her plasma gun into her PAK along with a few other necessary gadgets. As instructed by the Tallest, she knew she would only have a few seconds to get away before the ship self destructed. The last thing she wanted was to run the risk of leaving anything useful behind.

Suddenly, another alarm rang out. Tak dashed over to the control panel to investigate. Her stomach sank to her gut. The ship was on a direct collision course with one of Earth's orbiting satellites and was closing in fast. Acting quickly, she immediately seized hold of the controls and veered sharply. The ship narrowly missed the bulk of the satellite by inches, all except for a single protruding piece. She winced as the unbearable screeching sound of metal upon metal echoed throughout the ship.

When it was over, she glanced out the ship's window at the floating debris drifting behind her. The satellite had been shattered into pieces, but other than a few large scratches, the ship was completely intact. She cursed the humans and their inferior technology. Due to it's odd shape and flimsy structure, the ship's computer hadn't recognized it as a threat. While it was true it probably wouldn't have caused too much damage, she still didn't want to add extra complications if it could be avoided. Breathing a sigh of relief, she set the controls back to autopilot and returned to her preparations.

* * *

Upon entering the atmosphere, the ship set itself down softly with a thud in the middle of the countryside. It was somewhere far on the outskirts of town, well away from any heavily trafficked areas. The main hatch hissed open and upon activating their disguises, they stepped out into the cool midnight air.

Tak shivered. The winter chill pierced skin as it whistled by and snowflakes began to pile atop her head and shoulders. Bringing her hands to cover up her arms, she realized she had already made a crucial mistake. It was the beginning of winter and somewhere in her master plan she had failed to account for the planet's seasonal cycles.

"Change of plans Mimi," she said sharply, without directly facing the Sir unit. "It seems we will need transportation if we are to get into town." She turned around to head back to the ship, but unfortunately, at that same moment, the countdown reached zero and the ship imploded into a small ball of flame. She held an arm out to shield herself from the debris as the force from the blast blew past her. She opened her eyes and took a few steps closer. What remained of the ship was nothing more than a smouldering pile of ash. If anyone were to come across it, it would appear as nothing more than an extinguished campfire in the middle of an empty corn field.

Already annoyed at the minor setback, she turned and headed back toward the road. She stopped at the edge and peeked through the darkness, spotting what seemed to be a large pair of headlights heading their way. From the vibration of the ground beneath her, she determined the vehicle to be quite large. Seconds later, a large semi-truck crept out of the darkness and into view. Forcing a hand in the air, she did her best to flag down the driver.

The a large truck slowly screeched to a stop next to her. "Hey kid, what are ya doin out here this time a night?" asked the driver, rolling down his window. His accent was laced with a slight country twang and he was dressed in a plaid shirt and baseball cap. "Don't ya know there's a blizzard acomin?"

Tak did her best to appear as helpless as possible. "Sir, could you please give us a ride? I was out building igloos with my pet cat and we got a bit lost. Do you think you could take us back into town?"

Smiling politely, the truck driver nodded. "Why sure thing kiddo! Just hop in the side there." Tak climbed into the passenger's seat with Mimi jumping in after her. Once they were seated and buckled up, the driver squeezed the gas pedal and the truck's engine roared as they slowly picked up speed.

When they reached the area of the suburbs near Zim's house, Tak gave the request to be dropped off. The driver pulled up next to a vacant curb and the two of them hopped out onto the snow covered sidewalk.

"Now you two get inside where it's warm, ya hear?" shouted the driver. Tak thanked the driver and gave a traditional Irken salute. The driver tilted the end of his baseball cap and simply nodded before carrying on his way.

Once he was out of sight, she proceeded to head in the direction of Zim's base. When she finally reached her destination, she stopped at the foot of the front yard. She was well aware of the base's defenses and knew once she stepped inside, the security alarm would be triggered. Taking a good look around to make sure no one was watching, she reached inside her PAK and pulled out a small electronic device. Digging it into the lawn soil, she twisted it and the device sent out an electric shock. The wave of electricity instantly disabled the lawn gnomes and any sensors that may have detected her presence.

With Zim's perimeter defenses temporarily offline, she carefully approached one of the windows. Luckily the house was dark and it was difficult for anyone to see her sneaking around in the front yard. _Leave it to Zim to be the only house on the block without any holiday decorations,_ she thought to herself. _So much for blending in._ She tried to peek through to see if Zim's SIR unit was inside, but the glass was thick with frost. She rubbed a circle away with her hand, but the inside was too poorly lit to see anything.

Bringing out another strange device that looked like an advanced set of goggles, she slipped them on. A pulse went out and her field of vision changed to a transparent image of the inside of the living room. She tapped a sensor a few times to change the depth of view through various walls, but was surprised to find the house completely empty. Not even Zim's malfunctioning SIR unit was anywhere to be found. _Strange_ , she thought. _They must be down in the base_.

She put the goggles away and approached the front door. Activating a device on her arm, she held it against the doorknob. A faint clack was heard and the bolt lock clicked open. She opened the door and entered the premises, immediately greeted by Zim's robot parents. She ignored them and continued on her way.

Like the outside of the house, the living room was completely dark. She took a few cautious steps forward, just in case the computer recognized her as an intruder. With any luck Zim was stupid enough to have only registered humans as a threat. _After all, why would another Irken dare to challenge the Great Invader Zim?_ She shook her head. How he ever even qualified to be an invader was beyond her.

Her gamble paid off and she was able to reach the elevator with ease. Stepping onto the platform, she was lowered down the tube and into the main core of the base. When she reached the main floor, she stepped off the platform and activated her plasma gun. It was a deadly weapon with pin point accuracy and capable of melting its target in a slow, painful manner. Not so useful for the chaos of war, but the perfect weapon to extract her revenge.

She held the weapon out in front of her as she scoped out the base. She checked the main hallway, but found nothing. She continued on to the lab, but no one was there. She tried the repair bay, the communications bay, the equipment room, and the observation room. All were deserted.

Over the course of the next two hours, she searched every nook and cranny, but found nothing. Frustrated and disappointed, she took a moment to think. _Where could he have gone_ , she wondered. _It is far too late for the school to be operational and with the storm brewing outside, there is no reason for him to be out of the base._ She took a closer look around. Strangely, everything appeared to have just recently been repaired. _Perhaps another one of his failed experiments went haywire_ , she thought with a smirk. The idea of Zim blowing himself up always managed to bring a smile to her face.

After studying the base more closely, it was obvious it was still operational and everything seemed to be in use. Zim HAD to be nearby, or at the very least, would eventually return from wherever her was. "Very well Zim," she vocalized to the empty chamber. "I guess I will have to wait until you return to extract my revenge. Come MiMi. We have some preparations to make."

 **Author's Note:** So I know it's a little late for a Christmas chapter, but I started brainstorming and writing this story way back in November and wanted to get these chapters out while the weather was still relatable. I also did a bit of research on what happens to paste if it freezes. Turns out, the water and solvent separate and it becomes pretty useless. I thought it would be an interesting moment to add.

From the reviews, it seems everyone is really enjoying this story and that's great news! I have a lot planned for it, so I hope it continues to hold everyone's attention. I've released these first few chapters to get things started, but for the later ones, I am going to try and update on a monthly basis. No promises though. I don't want to rush anything if I don't feel its ready. Thanks to those of you who pointed out my spelling errors! I tend to make a lot of silly mistakes. Till next time!


	4. Revenge

**Revenge**

Waking to the familiar, sizzling scent of bacon drifting in from the kitchen, Dib inhaled deeply. His stomach rumbling, he sat up from the couch and with a heavy yawn, stretched out his stiff muscles. When he opened his eyes, he was a little surprised to find Gir, still in his dog suit, sitting across from him. The little robot had the tv remote in hand and was flipping through various channels. Dib could have sworn he heard a newscaster mention something about a downed satellite, but his curiosity dissipated when it skipped over to another mindless cartoon.

Still exhausted from the previous night, he slid off the couch and groggily dragged himself to the nearby bathroom. After brushing his teeth and taking care of other morning duties, he eventually made his way back to the the kitchen. He wasn't surprised to find Gaz already seated at the table. As usual, she was completely engulfed in her new video game and refused to give him even the slightest hint of recognition as he walked in. His father, who was flaunting a new seasonal holiday apron and cheerfully flipping pancakes over a blazing hot stove, noticed him immediately.

"Good morning son," he greeted in his usual professional manner. I hope you're hungry enough for our annual holiday family breakfast."

Dib let out a yawn and took his seat at the table. "Sure Dad. What are we having."

The professor walked over and proudly placed a full plate of food on the table in front of him. "My special homemade pancakes with a side of scrambled eggs, ham, and bacon."

Dib's mouth watered at the plethora of food laid out before him. "Wow dad. You almost never have time to make us breakfast in person before leaving for work." Choosing to try the bacon first, he picked up a crispy slice and dug his teeth into it.

The professor smiled. "Well usually I have Foodio 3000 whip us up a batch, but he's been malfunctioning ever since I uploaded that new omelet programming. But thanks to the extra help from your friend there, I was able to finally get him repaired." He held a hand out behind him towards Zim who was preoccupied with frying some pancake batter in the waffle maker.

Dib instantly spat out the bacon. "But dad, he's the enemy! You can't trust him to cook for us!"

The professor held up his gloved index finger. "Now now son, there's no need to be rude to your guest." Interrupting him, a beeping sound from his watch caught his attention. "Ah. That must be the lab." He clicked away the notification. "Looks like they need me to analyze some unstable reactions before they get out of hand again. You three go ahead and enjoy breakfast. I should be back in a little while."

"But it's Christmas," Gaz complained sorely, tearing her attention from her Game Slave.

The professor chuckled and bent down to rest a hand on his daughter's head. "Not to worry honey. I should be back before noon. After all, good science doesn't wait!"

Dib watched his father exit the kitchen and then turned his attention towards Zim. "Don't think I'm not on to you space boy," he warned, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

Zim turned around to face his rival while removing a freshly made waffle from the waffle maker. "What are you talking about Earth filth?"

"You think I'm stupid enough to fall for your tricks?" the boy questioned, pointing a finger in his direction. "You put something in the food didn't you?"

"I did no such thing!" Zim shouted back defensively while resting his hands on his hips. He shot an arm out toward Gaz. "Just take a look at your angry sibling. She's already eaten plenty and is still perfectly normal!"

Dib shot a look over at Gaz. Sure enough, she was rapidly shoveling scrambled eggs into her mouth while clicking away on her Game Slave. She looked perfectly fine. "Well, you still could have done something to mine," he muttered skeptically.

Zim frowned. "Nonsense! What strategical value would I gain from tampering with your food?"

Shooting the alien a funny look, Dib crossed his arms over his chest. "Uh gee, I don't know Zim. Poisoning me and then running free to take over the world? Just a guess."

Zim stared at him blankly for a moment, simply blinking a few times. "Oh. Yes, well. There is that," he chuckled sheepishly. "But in all seriousness, it seems I have lost interest in destroying you OR your puny planet for the time being Dib-worm. At least until I can finally get back to my base and formulate a new master plan."

Dib raised an eyebrow. "You know what Zim? I am starting to think you don't even HAVE a new master plan. It's been over a month now and other than that pathetic attempt last night, you've done nothing but sit in your house and watch TV."

"Lies!" Zim shouted back in denial. "You DARE accuse the great ZIM of such mediocrity?" He clashed his stack of waffles down on the table on front of him and pointed his fork at the human. "Just you wait and see Dib. I will come up with a new master plan so great and so massively evil you will soon realize just how wrong you really-huh?

Catching wind of the buttery scent, Gir was at his master's side in seconds. Zim looked down at his robot apprehensively, but before he could lunge in to stop him, Gir hopped up onto the table with a delighted squeal and proceeded to rapidly scarf down the entire plate of maple-covered goodness. Once gorged to satisfaction, he let out an obnoxious belch and with a happy, high pitched giggle, childishly dashed back into the living room to continue watching TV.

His head and torso left covered in syrup and leftover waffle chunks, Zim growled in frustration. "GIR!"

Dib looked over the Irken intrigued. "Huh. Since when do you willingly eat human food?"

Zim shook with irritation. "None of your business pig meat!" he shouted back, still angry his precious waffles had been stolen from him.

Unfazed by the insult, Dib continued to study his rival inquiringly. In the last few weeks, he had grown more suspicious of Zim's anomalous behavior and had been sure to keep an extra close eye on him just in case the alien was scheming something under his nose. He wouldn't put it past him seeing as how Zim had once spent several months hiding in a toilet just to trick him into thinking he had given up. But as far as he could tell, Zim hadn't bothered formulating any new plans in weeks. In fact, ever since the end of the science fair, he had done absolutely nothing productive at all.

Dib stared down at the plate of food in front of him. Stomach growling, he decided to go ahead and try another bite. Applying pressure with his fork, he separated a portion of the pancakes and scooped it up to his mouth. Chewing carefully, he tried to detect any unusual flavors or irregularities, but to his astonishment, it tasted perfectly fine. Sensing it was safe to finish his meal, he began shoveling whole fork loads into his mouth. The food was quite tasty and even though they had snacked the night before, he was still very hungry.

"So if you weren't trying to poison me," he questioned between bites, "what WERE you doing cooking with my dad?"

As if he were about to give a lecture, Zim straightened his posture. "If you must know, pig-stink, I was evaluating recipes for what you dirty apes refer to as _breakfast_ foods. I have found waffles to be quite enjoyable and not EVERYTHING I've eaten on this miserable planet has been completely awful. Except for that HORRIBLE food in the school cafeteria."

Dib let out a mild chuckle. "Well, to be fair, not even most humans can stomach that stuff."

Zim tried suppressing a few gags. "It's repulsive! Even the vile swill they give to Vortion prisoners is more bearable than that filth!"

"Hey, that reminds me," Dib interrupted, shifting the topic. "I remember reading something about planet Vort. Isn't it like a military prison or something?"

Zim, trying his best to wipe away the sticky chunks of leftovers from his uniform, briefly explained. "Yes, yes. It's an Irken military prison. One of the first planets to be conquered by the Empire and where most of our advanced weaponry is researched and engineered."

Dib gave a puzzled look. "So, you're species enslaved a whole race to build and design all of your most important and valuable technology? Doesn't that seem like a bad idea? I mean, what if they purposely install back doors in your operating systems. You know, codes that only THEY know how to override?"

Zim stared back at him with a cold glare. "Foolish, naive dirt-child! All machinery engineered on Vort is examined and overseen by top Irken engineers before transported off planet and implemented into the Armada. Absolutely nothing can go wrong!"

"Oh really? What about the time you stole the blueprints of your leaders' ship to bring it to Earth and and it on my _giant_ head?

Zim felt his pulse quicken. "Yes, well. That was something else entirely." Suddenly feeling uncomfortable with the discussion, he set his unused fork down and stood up from the table. "Well Dib, it has been an interesting twelve hours, but Gir and I have much work to do and must be going now."

"Wait, you're leaving?" Dib asked, his tone sounding a bit more disappointed than he intended. "But what about the snow outside?"

Zim made his way to the front door. "I assisted your parental guardian in clearing a path from the doorway hours ago while you were sleeping," Zim explained in his practical manner. He was just about to reach for the knob when Dib stopped him.

"Hang on!"

Zim sighed and turned back around. "What is it now Dib-worm?" He watched in irritation as the human dashed over to the Christmas tree and started digging through the festive pile. Grabbing a small, neatly wrapped package, he stood up and brought it over to him.

Zim studied it suspiciously. "What's this?"

Dib held it out to him in a non-threatening manner. "It's called a gift. It's what you're supposed to do on Christmas day. I was going to give this one to my Dad, but he probably wouldn't find much use for it anyway."

With a puzzled expression, Zim took the package and ripped away the red decorative wrapping. Left with only a brown, plain box, he carefully opened up the lid. His eyes grew wide.

Inside was none other than his precious, robotic bee.

Speechless, he dropped the empty box to the ground and stared at the gift in his claws. A strange, foreign emotion began to overtake him. He looked back up at the human for answers. "I-I don't understand."

Dib shrugged. "I found it in Tak's ship while making repairs. You said you wanted to learn more about human traditions and well, this is what this day is all about. No matter how much you may hate someone, you're supposed to set aside your differences for at least twenty four hours. By tomorrow, everything returns to normal."

Zim shifted his focus back down to the bee. Deep down he felt the gurgling urge to thank the human, but his pride kept it suppressed. _Besides_ , he thought to himself, _it's doubtful the pitiful meat creature even knew it belonged to me in the first place_. Shoving the robot bee in his PAK, he straightened his posture.

"Well I must admit, staying here wasn't AS terrible as I had anticipated," he stated with a burlesque undertone. "But make no mistake Dib! This changes nothing. Once I return to my base, I am still going to come up with a plan to destroy you and take over the Earth. This was only a minor setback."

"Whatever Zim," Dib mumbled, gambling on it being just another empty threat. "Hopefully you can make it home this time without getting caught in another snow storm."

Insulted by the sarcastic remark, Zim shot him a contemptuous look. "Come Gir! It's time we go home!" Obeying the command, Gir hopped down from the couch and eagerly sprinted over to his master's side. Without another word, Zim turned on his heel and proudly marched away from the Membrane residence.

Dib watched until they were well out of sight before shutting the door behind them. He wasn't sure why he had chosen to offer Zim a gift, but for some reason, it seemed like the right thing to do. Other than his own family, he had never given anything to anyone else before. His peers weren't exactly lining up to exchange presents with him and thanks to his hobbies, and he didn't have any real friends of his own. In a weird way, it felt kind of gratifying to spend the holiday with someone new, even if it was a destructive alien hell-bent on taking over the world.

Coming to his senses, he shook his head vigorously. _Seriously, what am I thinking?_ Zim wasn't his friend. For all he knew, the whole night could have been a ploy for his enemy to learn more about his family and exploit his house for weaknesses. He brought a hand to his chin. _But then again, Zim had been given the perfect opportunity to poison us and didn't take it. That had been strange in of itself. And what was the deal with him destroying his own base_. He never DID get a straight answer about that.

As he thought deeper, he came to the conclusion that even if Zim truly had given up for the time being, it didn't change the fact that he was still an alien. It was clear he was still loyal to his own kind, and that in itself was enough to remind Dib why he needed to remain diligent.

Dismissing the conflicting thoughts from his mind, he exited the entryway and went back to the comfort of the couch to enjoy the rest of his Christmas morning. The bizarre turn of events in the last few weeks were too overwhelming to think about, and he was still far too exhausted to dwell on it any longer. Picking up the remote, he switched the tv over to the paranormal channel and dozed off as the sound of the narrator's gravelly voice lulled him to sleep.

* * *

Feeling equally conflicted about the previous night's events, Zim marched back home with Gir at his side. He knew he shouldn't be feeling the way he did, but he had actually enjoyed spending time with his so-called arch enemy. For the first time in his life, he had experienced a sense of acceptance and belonging, something as an invader he had been conditioned to go without since the first day of training. After all, it wasn't wise for potential conquerors to befriend the very people they were trying to overthrow. Mixed emotions only complicated everything and made taking over a planet a whole lot more difficult.

Upon reaching his front yard, he commanded Gir to clear a path through the freshly accumulated snow that had piled in his doorway. Obeying his master, Gir fired up his jets and sliced an opening through to the front door. Unfortunately the robot miscalculated the amount of thrust needed and slammed head-first into the door before falling to the ground with a metallic thud.

"Good work Gir," Zim praised before strolling past his dazed minion. He cleared away some of the extra snow himself and opened the door to step inside.

Unaware of the potential danger awaiting below, he marched toward the elevator and traveled down to the main part of his base. When he reached the lab, he entered through the the parting double doors and approached a large, egg-shaped machine attached to a nearby wall. Stepping onto the designated platform, two large oval shaped spheres sprung to life and with a faint hissing sound, automatically enclosed around him in a maroon, oval-shaped shell. A few seconds later, the two halves separated and he casually stepped off the platform.

He briefly examined his now cleaned and dried uniform. The machine had also added a fresh layer of paste, something he had programmed into the process long ago. Satisfied and feeling refreshed with cleanliness, he approached one of the work stations.

"Gir. Come here!" he called out to his minion. "It's time to perform your regular upgrades!" He waited for his minion to dash over at his command, but nothing happened. Annoyed, Zim asked again. "Gir! Come here now!" There was still no response.

Growling, Zim pushed away from the work station. This wasn't the first time his SIR unit had defied him. Often times the little robot just wanted attention or to play a game of hide and seek. Unfortunately, Zim was in no mood for games. "Computer! Lock onto Gir's homing signature and guide me to his location."

A few seconds passed before the computer responded in its deep robotic voice. "SIR unit's signature located."

"You here that Gir!? You better come out before I come find you. Or you'll lose today's TV privileges." He waited to see if Gir revealed himself from his hiding place. Usually the threat was enough to persuade the eccentric robot to listen.

Hearing nothing but silence, Zim impatiently pulled out a small tracking device from his PAK. It was roughly the size of a human cellular device, but more oval shaped and had two pointy ends tapering toward each other on the bottom. Gir's location appeared as a beeping dot on the radar screen. He walked in the direction of his lost henchman.

"Seriously Gir. Now's not the time for games," he called out into the emptiness. "Where are you!?"

The tracker led him out of the lab and into a large, nearby maroon hallway. He stopped in the middle of the narrow metallic platform suspended several dozen feet above a massive empty space. "That's strange," he said, examining the tracking device. "Based on these readings, Gir should be right here."

Zim suddenly recoiled in surprise as the tiny robot's body plunged from the ceiling, landing directly in front of him with a loud thud. "Ah! There you are!" he called out, expressing his vexation at the Sir unit. "Enough with your games Gir! We need to get back you to the lab to work on your upgrades."

Gir did not move. With an agitated expression, Zim took a step closer. "Gir?" He turned his minion over, only to find the cyan blue that usually filled his eyes was replaced with a lifeless grey. Zim huffed in annoyance. "Broken again. How many times do I have to tell you not to jump head first from the ceiling? Now I'll have to spend all afternoon fixing YOU on top of installing the new additional upgrades." He bent down to collect the robot in his arms, but froze when he heard a metallic tapping sound above him.

 _Wait. An intruder? Down here? But how-?  
_

Before he could turn around, a small burst from a plasma rifle struck his right arm. The substance easily ate through the fabric of his uniform and instantly began tearing away at his flesh. Screaming in pain, he frantically looked up at the ceiling to pinpoint where it had come from. "Computer! Locate the intruder and activate the base's defenses!"

A few seconds passed before a discouraged series of beeps was heard. "Intruder not found. No threat detected."

"NO THREAT!?" yelled Zim, anxiously. "How is that even possible!?" Suddenly, another warm plasma shot whizzed passed his head. With no time to evaluate the situation, he decided to make a run for it. As expected, the enemy fired down on him rapidly in his attempt to get away. Dodging multiple plasma bursts, he sprinted toward the exit, but was forced to skid to a halt when the security door unexpectedly slammed shut in front of him.

"Hey. What is this!? Computer! Open the door!"

"Manual override in effect," said the deep robotic voice.

"MANUAL OVERRIDE? I AM ZIM! YOUR MASTER! I command you to open this door!"

It didn't budge. Pushing from the center, he did his best to pry it open, but it was no use. Hearing a dark, feminine laugh behind him, he wheeled around to face his attacker.

"Who dares infiltrate the base of ZIM!" he yelled into the darkness above, doing his best to conceal the growing uneasiness in his voice.

He was immediately answered with another plasma blast making direct contact with his left shoulder. Wincing from the excruciating pain, he instinctively brought his hand to cover the area and opened one eye to assess the damage. It wasn't good. His left arm was now completely useless and if he didn't treat the injuries soon, some of the nerve damage may even become permanent.

He glanced up through the searing pain as a green and purple figure graciously swooped down from the large overhead ceiling wires. A menacing set of spider legs, very much like his own, emerged from the intruder's PAK and forcefully pinned him against the door.

He recognized her immediately.

"Tak!" he barked her name in disgust. "I should have known. Only another Irken could have managed to sneak through my defenses."

She glared back at him bitterly. "That blame lies with you Zim! You and your pitiful attempts at planning things! It was a mistake on your part to make our kind unrecognizable to your own security systems."

Zim stared back at her venomously. "My only _mistake_ was letting you get away the last time we crossed paths. So what is it this time Tak? Are you here to try and steal my mission away again? You know I'll just stop you like I did last time."

Tak's eyes narrowed. "Your mission? No Zim. I know that the Tallest stripped you of your rank and revealed the truth to you about your so-called mission. I know that you were exiled here and they left you to rot on this nasty rock. THEY were the ones who sent me here, to ensure you never set foot off this miserable planet again. Getting an opportunity to extract my revenge on you is just an extra bonus."

"I thought you said it wasn't about revenge," Zim blurt out smugly.

Tak's expression hardened and she lifted one of her spider legs menacingly in return. Before he could say anything further, she shot it forward and forcefully pieced it through the soft tissues of his right leg.

Zim yelped in pain as the metallic spike dug into his delicate flesh. He struggled to break free, but her grip on him was far too secure."Get away from me!" he managed to screech out, biting back he pain. "You'll regret hurting the likes of ZIM!"

"Oh, I highly doubt that," she smirked, enjoying the pain she was inflicting on him. She retracted another spider leg and stabbed him a second time, this time through his midsection. His eyes went wide as he felt the metallic extension pierce through sections of his organs. She had purposely hit a non vital area, but it was still enough to cause him to cough up blood.

Shaking from the pain, he gripped his claws around her metallic appendages and struggled to pull them free. Tak smiled darkly as he squirmed weakly under her grasp. "You should have given up Zim," she stated, her voice thickly laced with her unique accent. "Originally, I DID only want your mission. I wanted you to know what it felt like to have everything stolen away from you, for you only watch as I conquered the planet and ruined your life. If you had just surrendered and allowed me to become the invader I so rightfully deserved to be, none of this would be happening."

"I didn't..." Zim tried to speak, but found he could barely manage without choking on his own blood. "Wasn't...my fault."

Insulted, Tak pointed the plasma gun down to the open stab wound on his right leg. "It was ALL your fault! You RUINED MY LIFE!"

At the last word, she fired the weapon, and Zim screamed in agony as the acidic blast fused with the open flesh of his newly created wound. The pain was unbearable, like a thousand flaming knives pierced the inside of his body. He wasn't sure how much more of it he could take. She was just about to fire another plasma round into his chest when something from behind him flew in and collided with her skull.

"GET AWAY FROM MA MASTER YOU MEAN OLD LADY!" Gir shouted, latching onto her antennae. Tak screeched in agony as the little robot yanked on the sensitive extensions and released her grip, giving Zim the opportunity he needed to escape. Seizing her plasma rifle, he sporadically fired the last few remaining rounds into her chest. She recoiled as the burning sensation began to eat away at her flesh. Most of the shots made contact, but with an extra stroke of luck, one rouge blast also managed to hit and damage her PAK.

Zim winced as the metallic extensions were pulled free from his flesh. Using the remainder of his strength, he pushed himself up and with the help of his own spider legs, he blasted an escape route through the jammed door behind him.

Noticing her target getting away, Tak forcefully shook Gir off of her. Using her disabling device once more, she zapped the little robot a second time. She wasn't sure why the first shock had been unsuccessful. Maybe Zim's crazed minion was too idiotic to even feel pain, or perhaps it was because he had been built differently than most SIR units. Either way, she didn't have the time to dwell on it. Zim was her target, and he was determined to catch up to him.

* * *

Struggling against his injuries and using his spider legs to aid him, Zim sprinted as fast he could toward the elevators. He took the express straight to the upper level and emerged from the incongruous toilet in his kitchen. Climbing down from the porcelain bowl, he limped toward the front door. When he reached the knob, he turned to steal a glance behind him.

Sure enough Tak, still clutching her chest in pain, was just stepping off of the hidden, ascending platform in his living room and noticing her prey, she scowled at him furiously. Zim yelped in panic and thrust open the door before running outside. Slapping on his contacts and wig, he did his best to maintain his distance, but the gap was closing in fast. By being out in the open, he could no longer use his spider legs without fear of getting noticed, and with his injuries slowing him down, she was sure to catch him in no time.

Panic settling in, he tried picking up the pace, but his breathing started to become heavy and labored. The loss of blood was catching up with him, he began to feel his strength rapidly draining from him. He stopped and hunched over to catch his breath. It was pointless. In his condition, he would never be able to outrun her. Looking around, he desperately tried to come up with an alternative solution.

Suddenly, he felt a small drop of liquid gently land on his forehead. _Rain?_ Curious, he glanced up at the sky. The clouds were an ominous dark grey and weighed heavily with saturation. They were bound to dump their load any second. _  
_

He smirked at the insane stroke of luck. After spending so much time tracing Earth's weather patterns, he was well aware of the dangers they represented to their kind. he knew more than anyone just how unpleasant the natural form of the liquid could be, but Tak was likely unfamiliar with the danger. Sure, in her short time on Earth, she probably figured out that water was harmful in the form of food or drinking bottles, but she had arrived during a dry year with particularly limited rainfall. There was a good chance she had never experienced a downpour or discovered the ingenious use of paste counter its effects. Either way, it was worth a shot.

Hearing a clash of thunder, Zim watched in anticipation as the heavy cloudburst of sleet deluged around them. Within seconds he was cold and soaked, but the protective layer of paste kept the icy molecules from stinging his delicate flesh.

Tak stopped her pursuit and feeling an odd sizzling sensation as the first couple of drops made contact with her skin, she held a hand out to analyze of the strange phenomenon. Feeling nothing at first, she glanced up at him, her face twisting in disgust at his pathetic attempt to stop her. Seconds later, the burning sensation took effect, and she found herself curled on the ground in searing pain, screaming and flailing about as the water drenched and battered her sensitive skin.

Struggling against the unbearable pain, she looked up at Zim. To her dismay, he was staring back at her arrogantly, completely unharmed by the liquid. _I don't understand. How is it possible? The rain had fallen on him too hadn't it? Why isn't he also in pain?_ Confused, she glanced down at her body, her skin already blistering against the rapid agitation and her disguise had long since flickered away. She was exposed and vulnerable.

As the droplets continued to bombard her, she noticed her breathing becoming increasingly more difficult. She weakly made an effort to stand, but her limbs were heavy and unresponsive. It was clear her PAK was diverting all its energy to just keeping her alive.

Sensing it was now safe to approach, Zim took a few steps closer. He stopped only a few inches away and with an arrogant smirk, towered over her proudly. "Ha! Foolish Tak! Once again you have proven my superiority in being defeated at the hands of ZIM! Only someone as _ingenious_ as me could have come up with such a brilliant way to counter Earth's pitiful weather patterns. You know, being trained as an invader and all. What a sad and pathetic end for you."

Tak clenched her teeth in disgust. The harsh sleet was like acid, digging into her flesh and draining away her strength little by little with every drop that hit her. She wanted nothing more than to tighten her claws around his neck and rip his arrogant little throat out. But she could only glare at him weakly as the hammering rain continued to beat down upon her.

Sensing her various systems threatening to shut down, her body began to tremble from the extreme cold and her PAK emitted various sparks as water gradually leaked into its components. Feeling the life slowly fade from her, she shut her eyes tight. _It isn't fair!_ _How could he beat me again? Him!? An overconfident, egotistical moron!?_ Sadness overtaking her, she opened her eyes halfway. _So this is it_ , she thought miserably. _I am really going to die here and at the hands of the universe's biggest idiot._ At this rate, it was only a matter of time before her PAK eventually gave out. She would become a lifeless corpse at the very feet of the person she had set out to kill and possibly the laughing stock of the entire Empire for failing to due so. _  
_

With what little strength she had left, she tilted her head and looked up at him hopelessly. She did not want to die yet, not like this. She had worked so hard her entire life only to have everything thrown back in her face and nothing at all to show for it. All she had ever wanted was to prove to the Tallest how valuable her skills were to the Empire. Had it all been too much to ask?

Defeated and exhausted from fighting against the pain, her eyelids began to grow heavy. _It shouldn't be long now,_ she thought as the droplets danced around her withered body _._ She wasn't sure if she could even feel them anymore. The sound from the world around her had already slowly faded away and the only thing left was the fleeting thump from her weakening pulse. _I just wanted- I just wish.._ Finally, with one final exhale, she surrendered to the impending darkness.

Zim stared blankly at the lifeless body wasting away before him. He tried to crack a smile at his victory, but his facial muscles remained rigid. He knew he should be grateful for her demise, but somehow, part of him didn't feel right about what he was doing. He stared at her, fixated. He didn't understand it. She'd been defeated. He'd won! He should be dancing on her corpse and throwing a party in his base to celebrate.

He briefly glanced over his injuries, trying to convince himself that her death was justified. She had very nearly killed him, and would certainly still try to do so if she was allowed to make a full recovery. He had every reason to walk away. But for some reason, Dib's words from earlier still echoed in the back of his mind.

 _Even if you hate someone, you are supposed to set aside your differences for at least twenty four hours._

He forcefully shoved the thought aside. _Nonsense! That was just stupid human ideology! Irken's had no need to adopt such morals!_ He folded his arms and tried to ignore the gnawing feeling digging at his core. _She tried to kill me!_ _She got what she deserved!_ He turned away, but the sensation of guilt only grew stronger.

He glanced down at her lifeless body, the scent of burning flesh invading his senses. Tak was one of his own, and despite everything she had done in the last few hours, he wasn't sure if he had the right to watch her die, not like this anyway. With a sigh, he knelt down beside her and carefully examined the severity of her wounds. The plasma blasts had eaten their way deep into her skin and he could hear the distinct popping of organic tissue against the chemical toxicity of the rain. Resting a gloved hand on her neck, he went to feel her pulse. His eyes widened.

She was still clinging to life, but just barely.

Making up his mind, he scooped her up from the ground and did his best to position her onto his back. His own injuries and logic screaming at him to leave her, he pushed himself up, struggling to maintain his balance. Using two of his spider legs for support and under cover of the storm, he slowly, and painfully, carried her back to his base.

* * *

 **Author's note:** So Zim's conscious is finally starting to get the better of him. Perhaps he really has spent too much time around humans after all. Sorry if this chapter seemed rather brutal or depressing for some. I just wanted the interactions to seem real in the eyes of the characters. And yes, I know in the Christmas special they mention that the santa suit returns every year to attack Earth, but I felt like that ending was similar to the time they ended up as bologna or when Zim's ship was programmed to fly into the sun. I think it was just a joke way for the writers to wrap up their episode and we are all just supposed to forget about it. Plus, it was really difficult to write in and didn't fit well with the rest of the story. Anyway, stay tuned for the next chapter!


	5. Obligations

**Obligations**

Hearing the familiar, steady beeping tone from a nearby vitals monitor, Tak felt herself slowly regain consciousness. As her senses reawakened, she attempted to move her arms, but found her muscles were stiff and unresponsive. Groaning softly, she rolled over onto her back and opened her eyes to take in her surroundings.

She was in an Irken medical bay, that much was clear. It was similar to the one she had been taken to on the Massive, but this one was much smaller and filled with far less equipment. Her resting place was shaped like a flattened out crescent and padded with multiple red cushions. It hovered just a foot or two above the floor and was surrounded by various gadgets and other advanced medical machinery.

She struggled to sit up, but was soon reminded of the torturous pain that radiated from her sore wounds, along with an overwhelming dizziness that seemed to enjoy swimming in her head while her pulse beat maddeningly against her skull. Recoiling in agony, she gripped her chest and head simultaneously and shut her eyes tightly. Feeling disoriented, she took in a deep breath as a wave of nausea passed over her. _I must have been drugged_ , she thought. She knew it had to have been some sort of pain killers. They were starting to wear off, leaving only the nasty lingering side effects to deal with.

Refusing to be sick, she instinctively brought a hand to her mouth and suppressed the urge to vomit. When the sensation finally passed, she noticed her left glove was missing and her arm was exposed to various IV tubes that connected to several nearby vials of fluid. She immediately recognized the vials as standard medical equipment, nothing that could potentially cause her harm. None the less, she stubbornly griped the tubes and yanked them free, causing the nearby machine to emanate an obnoxious, steady flat-line alert. She was about to climb down from the bed when a familiar voice stopped her in her tracks.

"I see you're finally awake."

Jumping slightly, she jerked her head around. To her surprise, Zim was standing behind her evaluating a nearby computer monitor. He seemed to be analyzing her vitals and recording them into a database. Just like her, he was also covered in Irken-grade medical bandages, except his injuries looked to be far more severe. She could tell he had trouble standing up straight and seemed to have great difficulty applying pressure to his right leg without assistance from his set of spider legs.

"You've been out for three days," he explained apathetically, his tone lucid, and irritated. "I kept you sedated while addressing your wounds. The effects of the painkillers should be wearing off in the next few hours, but you may experience some unpleasant side effects. One of them being uncontrollable vomiting."

Thankful that the moment of nausea had already passed, Tak stared back at him perplexed. "Zim? YOU of all people rescued me? But I...this is...I don't understand."

Frowning, Zim ignored her and kept studying the monitor.

"I tried to kill you," Tak continued, desperately trying to make sense of the situation. "Why would you save me? Even someone like you couldn't possibly have been stupid enough to help someone who clearly wants you dead?"

Eyes narrowing, Zim turned and hobbled over to where she was resting. "Oh I am well aware of your intentions Tak," he answered bitterly. "And that is the EXACT reason I have hidden away and disabled your precious SIR unit. Don't bother trying to call it back to you. It will not respond to any of your commands until I manually enter the reactivation code."

Tak glared at him."And what if I torture you to give me the code?" she asked maliciously.

Zim smirked and rested his hands on his hips. "Impossible. It requires my bio signature and voice recognition to come back online. Killing me would only ensure it remained shut down permanently."

Tak frowned. His smug attitude only served to irritate her further. "You really think I need MiMi's assistance to take you out?" she threatened venomously. "I am more than capable of killing you myself. Just you wait and see Zim. If it hadn't been for that ghastly storm three days ago, I would have succeeded. " She attempted to activate her spider legs to carry her injured body over to him, but found they were completely unresponsive.

"Wha-What is this!?"

"Oh, and I should also mention," Zim smugly continued, "I tampered with your PAK and removed any deadly devices I found to be a direct threat to Gir or me, so don't expect to be able to recover quickly and assassinate me anytime soon."

Tak felt her anger boil. She clenched her claws into fists. "Mark my words Zim. For everything you've done to me, I swear I'm going to cut you down like the pathetic excuse of an invader you are. Before I am through with you, you will be begging for a merciful end. You will regret everything Zim! Everything down to very last insult!"

Zim smugly stared back at her, unfazed. "Is that any way to thank someone who just saved your life?"

Shaking with rage, and ignoring the excruciating pain from her injuries, Tak dropped down from the recovery bed and took a few heavy steps toward him. "You're a fool if you expect me to forgive you that easily! One act of generosity means nothing compared to the lifetime of torment and misery YOU'VE caused me! Ever since that blackout on Devastis, my life has been nothing but a complete joke to the Empire! Because of YOU, I've had to work twice as hard to impress the Tallest! Because of YOU, I was forced to scrape together spare parts and repair an abandoned ship to escape Dirt!"

"You know that was all an accident," Zim stated matter-of-factually.

"YOU RUINED MY LIFE!" Tak shouted, jabbing a claw into his chest. "If it wasn't for you, I would be relishing in all the glory that comes with conquering a planet by now! All I ever wanted was to prove my worthiness to the Tallest and YOU had to steal EVERYTHING from me! YOU! A complete bumbling joke to the empire and the biggest moron ever to cross the galaxy! Our home planet was almost annihilated because of your stupidity, and when the control brain banished you to Foodcourtia, you thought you were being sent there as a vacation! That's why I am here Zim. To do the universe a colossal favor and rid it of YOUR perilous stupidity."

Her words cut into him like tiny daggers piercing through his soul. He didn't want to admit it, but what she spoke was the truth. He had heard it all first hand from the Tallest before. He was a joke, a complete laughing stock. His leaders never intended for him to conquer Earth. They had sent him to the far reaches of the universe to get rid of him, hoping he would collide with an asteroid or other deadly space body along the way. He was about as important to them as information collecting was to Gir.

Tak, however, was different. Instead of just being granted the birthright to become an invader, she actually possessed great talent. Her plan to steal his mission and take over Earth had actually been rather impressive, even if his stubborn pride refused to acknowledge it. Truth be told, he had been rather jealous. For her inconsiderable status, she was a remarkable Irken. If he had never interfered with her exam, she would have no doubt passed with flying colors and risen to the rank of invader in record time. She may have even gone on to beat Skoodge as the first to conquer her assigned planet in Operation Impending Doom II. But he had denied her that reality.

He subconsciously took a step back, as she jabbed into him. Her demeanor was cold and forbidding, and the few inches of height she had over him made him feel like a shrunken, cornered mouse. Just as he expected her to lash at him a second time, her reserve of strength finally reached its end. He watched as she collapsed in front of him and began coughing aggressively. Arms trembling, she could barely manage to hold herself up as the violent spasms took over and radiated throughout her body.

Zim stared down at her, unsure how to react. Something in the back of his mind nagged at him to kneel down and help her, but his better judgement quickly shoved it aside. In the short time he had known her, Tak didn't exactly come across as the helpless type. Even if he tried to help her, she would probably just attempt to rip his head off. Still, the nagging feeling dug into him. He wondered if it possible to turn the situation around and spin it in his favor.

Suddenly, an idea struck him. "Hmmm. You know Tak," he answered slyly, folding his arms behinds his back. "Even if everything that has happened to you was _partially_ my fault, by the Irken code of conduct, saving your life has indebted you to me. I am willing to allow you to access to my medical facilities, but in exchange you must agree to call off the assassination and help me with my duties around the base. You can think of it as...indentured servitude."

Tak scoffed at the offer. "I'll never stop hunting you Zim. I'd rather die than become your personal slave," she coughed hoarsely, barely managing to get the words out. "If it's the last thing I do, I swear I WILL kill you."

Disappointed, Zim narrowed his eyes. "Very well." Fighting his nagging instinct, he coldly turned on his heel to take his leave, but paused to leave her with one final thought. "But you know Tak," he spoke without looking back. "Like you, I too have dedicated my entire life to the Empire and to impressing the Tallest, only to have them cast me aside like a newborn Gigigzsmort and leave me to rot on this stupid planet. Even if you DO somehow manage to succeed at killing me, how do you know they won't do the same to you?"

Tak watched as he exited the medical bay, her body trembling with rage. _How dare he compare my level to his!_ she thought lividly, attempting to hold on to the last little bit of strength she had left. _What do his trials of monumental stupidity have anything to do with me?_ The sensation of nausea returned and her body screamed at her to crawl back to the recovery bed. _He's wrong. The Tallest still believe in me._ _Unlike him, I actually have what it takes to be an invader! I'll prove it to everyone. I'll prove it to him!_

With great effort, she pressed forward, attempting to drag herself back to the medical platform. When she finally managed to reach it, she tried desperately to pull herself up. Strength completely drained, she made it only a few inches before her muscles finally gave out. She collapsed onto the cold metallic floor, too exhausted to care where she rested.

* * *

A few more miserable days passed before the weather finally showed signs of clearing. The sky, which was once cluttered with dark, cloudy overcast, eventually dissipated to a sunny, clear crystal blue. The slush that resulted from the heavy downpours was replaced with a fresh light blanket of fluffy snow, and the blustering winds lulled to a steady, relaxing breeze. The suburban neighborhood was once again a safe, calm winter wonderland.

Taking advantage of the stable weather, Zim tinkered away in his front yard. Thanks to Tak's device, his broken lawn gnomes required a touch of manual labor to correct the damage she'd caused. He winced as he put in the extra effort to tighten the final loose bolt. Despite it being nearly a week, his wounds still hadn't completely healed and any minor strain on his muscles still caused him a decent amount of pain.

It was more than he could say for Tak however. As expected, she continued to turn down his offer and stubbornly refuse any medical treatment from him. In retaliation, he had hidden away his supply of more potent medications. Her recovery had been slow and unpleasant while his had been rapid and relatively painless.

His mind drifted back to the moment in the rain when he had carried her back to the base. He wasn't entirely sure what had compelled him to save her that day. Surely things would have been easier if he had just abandoned her to whither away in the middle of the water-logged asphalt. Part of him was angry at himself for succumbing to such weak mindedness. She was a direct threat to both him and Gir and should have been eliminated when he had the chance. The other part of him, however, almost felt guilty for even considering leaving her to perish. Her sorrowful expression still tainted his mind and despite her murderous intent, he still felt as though he made the right choice.

His thoughts were rudely interrupted when the front door suddenly burst open. Out ran Gir, screaming and carrying a half-empty jar of honey. A few seconds later, Tak followed close behind, covered from head to toe in the sticky, golden substance. She was masked in her human disguise and judging from the murderous intent on her face, she was furious with the little robot.

"Just wait until I get my claws on you, you little abomination!" she shouted, chasing him in circles throughout the yard. Gir shrieked in terror and ran over to the large tree where Zim usually tied him up when he was getting overly bothersome. Tak continued to chase him around and around the base of the trunk until she found her strength gradually fading from her. Breathing heavily, she stopped a moment to catch her breath. Still terrified, Gir scampered off to take shelter behind his master.

Zim looked down at his frightened minion trembling from behind his legs. "Gir! What did I say about running out here without your disguise on!" he scolded. "And put away that jar of honey! You'll get it all over the yard and attract those filthy cat creatures or something."

"But I've got to feed my bees," said Gir casually, opening the top of his head and dumping the remaining honey on an active bee hive. The terror from seconds ago seemed to have been completely forgotten.

Frowning, Zim snatched the jar away. "No! Inside. Now!"

"Awwww." Gir reluctantly obeyed his master and sulked back into the house to do as he was told. Zim waited until he was out of sight before tossing away the empty jar. "Great. Instead of spending the afternoon debugging my security systems, I now have to clean up this mess." Hearing Tak's boots lightly crunch against the snow, he turned around.

"Despicable little menace," she grumbled, attempting to wipe away the excess honey. "Just wait until I get my hands on that walking rubbish bin! I'm going to rip out it's components and use them as target practice for Mimi's homing systems."

Zim's expression furrowed. "Hey! Gir is MY SIR unit and any ripping off parts is to be done by me and only me!"

Tak huffed and crossed her arms. "Fitting a pathetic invader would have an equally pathetic SIR unit. Honestly Zim, it's just another sad reminder of how the Tallest lied to you and set you up for failure. Why do you even keep it around?"

Zim's eyes went wide. "You dare question my amazing leadership skills!?"

"Leadership skills?" she stated sarcastically. "You aren't even a real invader! Besides, you haven't even bothered upgrading it yet have you?"

"For your information Tak," he spat her name like it was poison. "Of course I have upgraded Gir...eh...in the past. It just so happens that his current settings are the most optimal for his MIGHTY robot function."

Tak stared at him unconvinced. "So what you mean is, you prefer him to be even more idiotic than you," she shot back.

Offended by the insult, Zim threw his kwag-wrench to the ground. "Insolent fool! You wouldn't even be standing here if it wasn't for MY amazing genius!"

Tak rolled her eyes. "Try not to flatter yourself Zim. The fact that you barely managed to escape my claws alive is nothing short of a miracle. If it wasn't for this planet's horrible weather systems, I would be standing over your dead corpse right now notifying the Tallest of my eminent success."

Zim held out a pointed claw and was about to say something back, but was abruptly cut off when a giant snowball forcefully collided against his body, knocking him to the ground.

"Ha! Take that Zim!" shouted Dib, revealing himself from behind the nearby fence. He was holding Zim's snowball cannon that the Irken had carelessly left behind in his front yard. "Man this thing is incredible! I could win some serious snowball fights with this."

Recovering from the sudden impact, Zim pushed himself onto his hands and spat out the extra snow that had collected in his mouth.

"That's a good look for you" Tak sneered, bending over to mock him and kicking a bit of loose snow into his face.

"Tak?" Recognizing the voice of the familiar Irken, Dib lowered the snowball cannon. "You're alive? What are you doing back here? And...why are you covered in honey?"

Tak turned to face him. "Zim's idiotic SIR unit thought it would be a brilliant idea to use me as a feeding post for his colony of bee creatures," she explained sourly. "As for my purpose here, you and the rest of your planet have nothing to fear from me. I am only here to extract my revenge on Zim."

"Revenge?" Dib raised an eyebrow. "Well okay, as long as you're not here to take over Earth. Cuz if you were, you'd have to get through me, Earth sole defender and loyal guardian."

"I'll try to keep that in mind," said Tak sarcastically, writing off the boy as nothing more than a nuisance. If her intentions were to truly conquer the world, he would be more than helpless to stop her.

Dib turned his attention back to his long time rival. "Hey Zim! Get up space jerk! We're supposed to be at my dad's lab in less than an hour!"

Zim shot his head up from the snow. "Shut your noise hole Dib stink! I know what today is!" Picking himself up, he adjusted his contacts and wig and angrily took a few angry steps toward the front door to poke his head inside. "Gir!" he shouted, projecting his voice into the living room.

His crazed minion ever so slightly popped his head out from behind the door. "Yes?"

Zim glanced down at his SIR unit, satisfied to see he was back in his dog disguise. "I have some business to attend to with the Dib-human. I am assigning you to stay behind and keep an eye on Tak while I'm gone."

Gir gasped and his face lit up with excitement. "Can we do the chicken dance!?"

"I don't care what you do Gir, just don't let her touch anything or leave the base. Understand?"

Gir's lights glowed red beneath the costume. "Yes sir!" he saluted.

From behind him, Tak gave Zim a defying look. "You're really going to rely on that pathetic excuse of a SIR unit to hold ME prisoner? You have got to be joking."

"I assure you I am very serious," said Zim, turning back around to face her. "Until my return, I command you to remain here and touch nothing. And don't expect to find any of my medical supplies while snooping around my labs. Using my ingenious brain, I have already locked them away in a place so well hidden, there's absolutely no chance of you ever finding them."

Frowning, Tak stepped forward to meet him face to face on the doorstep. "You may think you have won Zim, but this doesn't change anything. All your efforts, all of these precautions you've been taking. You are only tricking yourself into a false sense of security. My injuries will not hold me back forever. Sooner or later I WILL have an opportunity to strike and when I do, I will make sure you regret keeping me alive."

Zim's eyes narrowed. "We will see Tak. We will see." Shoving past her, he marched up to the sidewalk where Dib was standing. "Come on meat smell, let's go."

Dib cocked his head in confusion. "Wait, you're coming with me?"

"I assume you have transportation arranged yes?" Zim asked, ignoring the question.

"Well yeah, but I-"

"Excellent! We leave now then!"

As if on cue, a black limousine rolled up in front of them and stopped a few inches from the sidewalk. A man dressed in a black and white tuxedo stepped out to greet them. "Are you two the contest winners?" he asked, his voice dull and uniform in tone.

"Yeah, that's us," answered Dib.

"Step inside please."

* * *

The two rivals sat in awkward silence across from one another in the long, but rather tastefully decorated, limo. Dib wanted more than anything to bring up the topic of Tak. He was still curious what had brought her back to Earth and why she was so focused on Zim. Zim, on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with the conversation and seemed to be putting in excessive effort to avoid direct eye contact. Nearly twenty solid minutes passed before Dib finally decided to be the first to break the ice.

"So...Tak's back for revenge huh? That's pretty interesting," he stated awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I mean, I thought you defeated her after that whole _Deelishis Weenie_ incident last year?"

Zim cast his eyes away from the boy and shifted his focus to the moving scenery outside. Dib waited for him to open up with some information, but the Irken remained silent. "So...what's she doing back at your base?" he asked, hoping to get some sort of an answer.

Zim simply glared at him, his body mimicking a defensive posture. "She is trying to kill me," he stated bluntly.

Dib's eyes went wide. "And you're letting her stay in your base!?" he exclaimed. "Geez, I knew you were stupid Zim, but come on! Aren't you worried at ALL about her tricking Gir and reprogramming your computer or something?"

"A bit."

"And you're just going to let it happen!?"

"No one can defeat the mighty Zim!" Zim shouted dramatically. "Besides, I'm sure she will soon discover my loyal companion can be much more of a handful than she anticipated."

"Yeah, except this is Tak were talking about," stated Dib. "From what I remember, she was FAR more capable than you at taking over the world. And if she's trying to kill you, she will probably find a successful way to do so."

Zim narrowed his eyes at the passive-aggressive insult. "Relax Dib-stink, she already tried to ambush me in my own base and I stopped her by disabling her PAK and SIR unit. She's more weak and helpless now than a newborn Smorgy about to be eaten by the dreaded Verkron."

Ignoring the obscure reference, Dib leaned in to process what he was hearing. "So she wants to take over Earth by getting revenge on you first? Interesting. I wonder what her plan is this time."

"She has no plan," answered Zim. "She's made it perfectly clear she's only after revenge and nothing else. She has no desire or interest in taking over your miserable planet."

"But that doesn't make any sense," questioned Dib. "Why would she go out of her way just to target you? Unless." He sat back up. "You two have a history don't you!?"

Zim gave him a funny look. "Eh? What are you talking about meat stink?"

Dib stood up and pointed a finger at him. "You know what I mean Zim. Last time she was here, she was clearly angry at you about something. At school, she picked on you literally very chance she got, and that was all BEFORE she tried stealing your mission away from you."

Zim turned his head away.

"So what is it Zim?" questioned Dib eagerly. "Why does Tak want revenge on you so bad? Huh? Huh?"

Zim tried to ignore him, but the boy annoyingly migrated into his field of view whichever way he turned. "She couldn't have come back just because she hates you. There's got to be a better reason. Could it be that she really was your girlfriend after all Zim? Did you two have some kind of falling out and that's why she pretended to date you and steal your mission away from you? How does that work for your species anyway? Do your people even have girlfriends?

"Get your gargantuan head out of my face!" Zim shouted.

Dib pulled away, but still maintained a healthy distance. "Not until I get some answers Zim!"

After a few moments of grumbling, the Irken finally caved. "Fine," he stated sourly. "Fifty years ago I may have caused a power outage on the same planet she was doing her elite status training on. She ended up missing her opportunity to take the exam and was placed on a janitorial squad on planet Dirt for the next seventy years. She escaped and came to Earth where she planned on taking over my mission, but because we defeated her, she now wants revenge on me and blames ME for ruining her life."

"Seventy years?" questioned Dib. "Just how long is your species' lifespan?"

Before he could get an answer, the limo abruptly came to a stop and he was propelled forward, face-first into the cheap, velvet carpeting. He picked himself up and the driver came around to the side and opened up the passenger door.

"Here we are."

 **Author's note:** I know, I know. Not a lot going on in this chapter. I originally intended for it to be a bit longer, but the next part would have been just too much to add and I didn't want to drag things on. I really enjoyed writing the moments with Gir in this chapter. The part where he dumps the honey on his head made me chuckle. And a big thanks to those of you who regularly post reviews. It always fun to read what other fans think of the story so far. I also wanted to mention a special shout out to the particular Guest reviewer following this story. I apologize for not being able to respond to you directly, but thank you very much for all your kind words! And yes, I intended to spell delicious wrong. I'm not entirely sure how the show spells it, but I think I got pretty close. Till next time!


	6. Realization

**Realization**

The building was massive. Like a wide, cylindrical, cement tube, it rose from the base of the sea and easily dwarfed the main laboratory nearby, along with the surrounding shoreline offices, security checkpoints, and parking lots. Toward the top, its design tapered off bluntly, giving way to the main operating level where busy engineers scurried about, carrying tools and large shipments of metal, fiddling with fancy gadgets, and double checking any and all safety requirements.

Dib gazed up at the titanic spectacle in awe. "Wow! This thing is enormous!" he exclaimed, spreading his arms apart for emphasis. "But Dad said they wouldn't be starting construction until next week. This thing looks like it's nearly complete."

Zim, who was standing next to the boy, shrugged in indifference. "Eh, who knows with you filthy Earth creatures. At rate in which you construct things, it's astounding anything gets completed."

Dib's expression wrinkled at the remark and he was about to respond with a snappy comeback, but their conversation was interrupted by a large, muscular security guard dressed in a tight, black shirt and rugged pair of jeans. "You the professor's son?" the large man asked intimidatingly.

Dib looked up at him uneasily. "Uh, yes?"

"Please follow me."

He led the two of them to an area backstage where a large audience was gathered. Once they reached the stairway to the stage, he stopped and turned to instruct them. "The professor will be here to greet you shortly. In the meantime, please do not touch anything."

"What happens if we _do_ touch anything?" asked Zim.

The security guard bent down, casting an ominous shadow over the tiny Irken. "You'll have to answer to me," he answered dauntingly.

Taking the statement as a challenge, Zim puffed out his chest and raised a pointed claw in the air. "Zim fears no one bulbous Earth beast! You dare administer such threats? Prepare to be doomed at the hands of Zim!"

Saying nothing and not afraid in the slightest, the large security guard nonchalantly pulled out a small hand taser and in one smooth motion, jabbed it into the side of Zim's neck. The alien immediately felt the shock of electricity surge through him and before he knew it, he was twitching face-first on the loose gravel as a spastic flesh pile.

Ignoring Zim's stupidity, Dib turned away from them and carefully pulled back a section of the curtain to take a quick peak at the audience. His eyes grew wide. There were easily over a thousand people. Some were seated in the back on bleachers while others gathered around the front of the stage. Not only were news reporters present. A majority appeared to be regular civilians, some of which even touted special "Professor Membrane" hats and other kinds of props from his popular tv show. Dib supposed he shouldn't be too surprised. His father was pretty famous after all. He still recalled how difficult it had been just to get a simple permission slip signed backstage.

Dib glanced back over at Zim. He had to admit, with all the reporters and cameras around, the thought of exposing the Irken DID cross his mind. After all, this would be the perfect opportunity to do so and prove to his father that his interest in the paranormal wasn't just a complete waste of time.

But there was a problem.

Unlike when they first met, defeating Zim now came with consequences. Turning his long-time rival in meant sacrificing a part of himself he wasn't sure he was ready to give up. He would be forced to turn over Tak's ship and all the potential adventures he could have exploring the universe. He had seen things no other human had ever seen and experienced things most other people couldn't even begin to fathom. If he exposed Zim to the public now, he would no longer have the chance to uncover the mystery behind the Irken race, or any other aliens for that matter. All the wondrous technology he had been granted the privilege of toying with would be removed far from his reach. And most importantly, he would be dooming the only individual who had ever even bothered spending any significant amount of time with him.

The sound of his father's voice shook him from his conflicting thoughts. "Oh, hello son." The professor stood erect and had his hands held elegantly behind his back. "Glad to see you two were able to make it."

"Oh, hey Dad," said Dib, turning around to greet his father. He let go of the curtain and allowed it fall neatly back into place. "So uh, what is all this?" he asked, hoping to pry some answers out of the famous scientist. "I thought you said you weren't starting construction until the beginning of the New Year."

The professor chuckled warmly. "Well, you see son. I was so thrilled to see you finally taking an interest in REAL science that I secretly started this project months ago. I was hoping to present it to you as a surprise New Year's gift for all the hard work you've done, but I decided I just couldn't wait!"

"You...you were?" Dib stuttered, legitimately surprised.

His father nodded. He knelt down and rested a hand on his son's shoulder. "I knew one day you would abandon those INSANE theories and other whimsical nonsense to turn your attention to REAL science! This desalinization plant was very impressive accomplishment for someone your age, and as the future head of Membrane industries, I have no doubt that you'll go on to produce even more wonderful ideas like it!"

Dib cringed a little, but tried his best to show his appreciation. "Uh, thanks Dad. I uh...don't know what to say."

The professor smiled. "Just keep up the good work son!" Giving a classic thumbs up, he rose from his kneeling position. "Oh, and that reminds me. I was hoping the two of you would join me on stage to unveil the news to the public today. It's only fair that you get to stand up there with me as I present it. It was your invention after all. "

Dib's ears perked up a little at the thought of standing next to his father on stage. "Oh, yeah sure! Thanks Dad!"

Suddenly, the announcer from the overhead speaker echoed throughout the area."AND NOW, put your hands together for the man who brought you SUPERTOAST and the everlasting INVISOCREAM: The one, the only, PROFESSOR MEMBRANE!"

"Well that's my cue," said the professor. He turned back to the security guard. "Send them in once I give the announcement."

Acknowledging the professor's request, the guard nodded.

The audience erupted into an epic collection of loud cheers and whistles as the world famous scientist comfortably took his place center stage. Lifting a hand up, he briefly greeted his fans before waiting for the crowd to settle down.

"Thank you all for coming. As you know, our planet is on the verge of a population crisis and is being strained for its limited resources as we speak. The most valuable thing being, of course, water."

There were another series of cheers before he spoke again.

"Our goal here was to construct a more efficient system to grant access to freshwater while generating as little waste as possible. So, as of today, I am excited to reveal to you a brand new desalinization plant design that has successfully accomplished that goal."

More cheers followed and a rapid series of camera flashes reflected off of his white lab coat and goggles. Various reporters on the ground level pushed their way forward, each doing their best to shove their individual microphones inches closer to the stage.

"Could you tell us a bit more about the new invention Professor?"

"Will this cheapen the price of drinkable water for everyone?"

"When will the plant be fully operational?"

"Is it true that you have a secret donut break room hidden somewhere in your labs?"

The professor placed his hands together as he often did when explaining things. "Combined with our new Marc-Four processing technology, the plant is completely solar powered. The saltwater is pumped directly from the ocean through the main central pipe and from there, it is sent to the processing chamber where the salt is separated and packaged for further food storage and consumption. Construction of the project is nearly complete and everything should be fully operational within a few more weeks."

One lengthy female reporter dressed in a trendy business suit shot her microphone in the air. "What inspired you to come up with such a revolutionary design Professor?"

Membrane smiled. "Ah, I'm glad you asked that. Well, it may interest you to know I was not actually the one who came up with it."

There was a unanimous gasp followed by scattered murmurs. Back behind the curtain, the security guard could be seen mumbling a few words into a walkie-talkie. Then, following an incomprehensible response, he quickly shoved both Dib and Zim onto the stage.

Professor Membrane held an arm out in the direction of the curtain as they appeared. "I would like to introduce you all to my son, Dib, along with his fellow classmate. Working together, they were able to construct a successful prototype for their school science fair project and inspire this remarkable real world accomplishment. It is my honor to relay all credit for the idea to them and them alone."

The audience exploded in applause as the two rivals stepped up to join Dr. Membrane's side. Dib waved awkwardly and forced a nervous smile as he looked out at the many faces cheering him in awe. Never before had he felt so welcomed and yet, so out of place. The feeling was strange to him. He had always imagined crowds cheering for him, but under much different circumstances. Part of him wasn't even sure if he fully deserved it.

Zim, on the other hand, was soaking in every moment of glory as if it came naturally, waving his hands charismatically while boasting about the stage. "Thank you! Thank you! Yes, it is amazing isn't it? But of course it is. It was made by ZIM!"

The reporters, eager to jot down more new material, quickly bombarded the two of them with more questions.

"Can we expect the same great accomplishments from you in the future Dib?"

"It it true that you're really Dr. Membrane's son?"

"How did the two of you come up with such a brilliant idea?"

Sensing the crowd was getting a little too riled, the Professor stepped forward. "Now now, let's not get too excited. They're only kids after all," he spoke in his commanding leadership tone. "Well that is all the time we have for today. I hope you enjoyed the presentation. Thank you all for coming."

He guided the two of them offstage and behind the curtain once again. When they reached the base of the stairs, he turned to face the two of them. "Excellent job up there you two. You really know how to handle a crowd." He then turned to look directly at Dib. "And a personal congratulations to you son. I always knew the day would finally come when you decided to join me on my everlasting quiet for SCIENCE! Here, I got this for you."

He held out a small, but sturdy laminated card key.

"But Dad, this is-. You're granting me access to your lab?" Dib questioned, shocked that his father actually felt he was ready for such an important responsibility.

"It's just to the basic amenities," explained the Professor. "But I think you're finally ready. And it IS about time I introduced you to my work. Please, follow me if you will."

He led the two of them through security and on to the main doors of the lab where they were followed by a team of highly equipped security personal and body guards who made it their mission to ensure no one came within a few feet of the traveling group. Inside the lab entrance was a massively large room with a sizeable cemented hole dug out in the center. Dib thought it reminded him of the Roman Colosseum he learned about in school, but instead of a man eating lion, inside the center was a lone scientist dressed in safety equipment testing a new mechanical product. A safe distance above him stood the other scientists carefully jolting down notes.

Dib looked over at Zim, unsure how the alien was handling being around so many tall white coats and masked faces. The Irken's body language appeared withdrawn, and he seemed to be VERY nervous. "Zim? he asked quietly enough so no one around could hear.

Zim, knowing what the human was about to ask, shot him a contemptuous look and bravely stuck his chin in the air. "I've never been better Dib-stink. Why do you ask?"

Dib rolled his eyes and turned away. "Nothing. Never mind." Sometimes he wondered why he even bothered.

Zim stared back at the boy, trying to determine if he was formulating some kind of devilish trick. After all, it would be in Dib's best interest to turn on him here and now. They were in the middle of a secure, state-of-the-art human research facility with no escape but the same way they came in and surrounded by dozens of containers he could be easily stowed away in. It would be the perfect opportunity for the human to get exactly what he wanted.

Then, it strangely occurred to Zim, there was an unusual height disparity between them. Instead of staring at Dib on equal eye level, Zim found that his eyes were angled up slightly, almost as if the boy had grown a few inches taller. Of course it was bound to happen someday. Given the size of Dib's parental unit, he was expected to eventually tower over him just like the Professor did. Still, he hadn't really thought about it until just now. Given the ingrained customs of his own people, the inequality between them made him feel slightly uncomfortable.

* * *

After hours of touring the lab, Zim finally returned to the sanctuary of his base. He had to admit, the trip had been interesting, and he had learned a lot about the humans' level of technology. The information had been far more valuable than anything he learned while at skool. Even Tak probably had no idea how far along the primitive species had progressed. They were easily well on their way to discovering some major breakthroughs and in a few more centuries, may even become advanced enough to integrate with the rest of the galaxy.

"Gir, I'm home!" he called out into his living room, removing his wig and eye contacts. As if on cue, his loyal minion hopped up from the couch to greet him.

"Master! You're back! And you brought da big-headed kid over to play!"

Zim looked down at his minion authoritatively. "Dib is not here for play Gir. He is here to help me analyze some important human technology from his father's lab and see if it can be compatible with anything of ours."

"Ohhhhhhh," said the robot cluelessly.

Zim's eyes narrowed. "You have no idea what I am talking about do you?"

Gir gave his usual large, goofy smile. "Nope!"

Zim sighed. "Never mind. Just stay up here and continue guarding the house. I'm going to go down to the lab to-" he froze when he realized who was missing in the scenario. "Gir...Where is Tak?"

Gir shrugged.

Zim felt the panic rise. "You were supposed to keep an eye on her Gir!" he yelled, the evident fear growing in his voice.

Knowing he did something wrong, Gir cowered into a small, helpless ball as Zim approached him. "Tell me," demanded the ex-invader. "Which way did she go?"

Like a small, frightened child, Gir pointed over to the elevator. Alarmed, Zim rushed over and impatiently waited for the decoy furniture to clear before stepping onto the platform. Dib followed and was about to join him, but was halted abruptly when Zim held his arm out.

"Hey, what-"

Zim cut him off with a serious look. "This is not a game Dib," he said in a serious tone. "Tak is dangerous, and she won't hesitate to kill you if she gets the chance. I can't have you getting in my way."

"But I can handle myself!" assured Dib, rather childishly. "Besides, wouldn't it be better to have two pairs of eyes looking around than just one?"

Not willing to waste any more time arguing with the boy, Zim growled in annoyance. "Fine. Just don't get in my way."

Dib nodded in agreement and the platform quickly descended down to the lower levels.

* * *

When they made it to the ground level, Zim immediately jumped off and shouted up at the ceiling. "Computer! Give me Tak's location!"

A few beeping noises were heard and the computer responded in its robotic voice. "Tak located in Storage Bay 4."

Zim's antennae perked up. "That's where I hid the medicine stash!"

Dib tilted his head. "Your what?" he asked, not understanding the significance.

"She must have been searching for it!" Zim panicked, not really caring if Dib was listening or not. Casting out his spider legs for speed and support, he scurried down the hall to the storage room, leaving Dib to chase after him on foot.

Dashing madly around corners, Zim eventually reached the corridor that led to the storage bay. The door opened automatically, revealing the gaping entrance into the poorly lit room. Careful of any traps Tak may have laid out for him, he slowly poked his head around to peek inside.

What he found was a complete mess. Various machine components were destroyed and their remnants were scattered around the floor along with empty medicine containers he had purposely set up to elude her. He could tell she had completely ransacked every last storage container and chucked it across the floor in a fit of frustration. Metal piping was chaotically tossed about as if she had just felt like breaking it on purpose, and shattered glass spread all around the room.

In the middle of it all, she lay unresponsive and motionless on the ground, just visible in the center of the room. Instinct taking over, Zim was about to step forward when a familiar black-coated arm suddenly shot out in front of him.

"Are you nuts Zim?" whispered the boy, partially out of breath from sprinting down the entire hallway. "This is obviously some kind of trap."

Zim ignored him and looked out at Tak anxiously. Trap or not, his gut was telling him she was badly hurt and nagging at him to go assist her. Disregarding the boy's warning, Zim swiftly ducked under his arm and scampered over to where she was laying. He approached her carefully, keeping in mind that it COULD, in fact, be a trap. When he determined it was safe enough, he knelt down to examine her.

She wasn't unconscious, but her face was disgruntled and her breathing was short and rapid. Based on her posture, he could tell she had collapsed due to some sort of severe pain or trauma. As he inched closer, he could feel her warm, gentle breath lightly brush against his left knee. He wasn't sure why, but he liked the fluttery effect it had on him.

Snapping back to focus, he looked back at her face. She still hadn't opened her eyes, but with the pain she was in, it was likely she didn't even know he was there. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he gently shook her to get her attention.

Startled from the unexpected motion, Tak's eyes shot open immediately. "Zim?" Her expression quickly darkened upon realizing who it was. "How dare you. Get your filthy hands off me."

Her threatening tone disturbed him only slightly as she was in no condition to attack him. Even her attempt to swat him away had been slow and weak. Saying nothing, he continued to look her over. He could tell her body was heated with a fever and her skin was pasty and appeared to be a paler shade of green.

"What were you doing down in my storage room?" he questioned sternly.

Tak glared at him, but not having the energy to argue, she weakly placed a hand over the area covering her abdomen. "Gir's honey substance...infection..."

With a puzzled expression, Zim looked down to where she was pointing. Very carefully, he brought a hand to to the area and gently lifted the upper part of her uniform to expose a very inflamed, very infected plasma wound. His eyes widened at the severity of the infection. The honey had soaked its way into the raw, exposed tissue, causing a severe reaction with her skin cells. Combined with the bacteria and other microorganisms, he could tell her body had tried to fight it off, but to no avail. If he hadn't been home for another two hours, she likely wouldn't have survived.

Tak winced as the sticky, pus soaked fabric slowly tore away from her delicate, grimy flesh. As he studied her pained expression, his feelings of hatred began to melt away. She was in obvious discomfort, and even with her crude scowl, her sullen eyes gave away her true emotions. She was scared, and for some reason, something about the way she was looking at him had a strange effect on him. Just like the moment in the rain, the urge to help her resurfaced and a small tingling sensation rose in his gut.

Tearing his gaze away from hers, he stood up and hurried over to one of the empty cabinets that she had carelessly ransacked. He placed his gloved hand against the back wall and revealed an invisible bioscanner. After the device recognized his genetic signature, the scanner pinged and the back of the cabinet hissed open, unveiling the hidden stockpile of medicines he had cleverly stowed away.

After briefly looking them over, he grabbed the one he needed and hurried back over to her. Tak watched suspiciously as he dispensed a portion of the medicine onto his glove and brought it close to her. Instinctively, she shied away. He hesitated and looked back up at her, as if asking permission to continue. Tak groaned and turned her head away in aversion. She didn't want to accept help from him, but she knew the medicine was the only chance she had now and if she stubbornly refused it, she was as good as dead.

Knowing it was for her own good, she grimaced while he carefully applied the medicine to her wound. She cried out and struggled to remain still as the stinging sensation reacted violently against her skin. It caused the tissue to sizzle and pop, rapidly aiding the immune cells in ridding the nasty bacteria that infected them and cleaning everything out at the same time. When the sensation finally died down, Zim went ahead and applied a second dose. Tak winced again, but this time it was not nearly as painful as the first. Still, she gritted her teeth to bear it.

Eventually the pain dissipated altogether and her expression finally relaxed. As he spread the medicine carefully, she started to find the sensation was actually rather pleasant. The weakness she was feeling was gone and her strength was gradually returning. She closed her eyes and relished in the welcomed relief. He was being surprisingly gentle, and she supposed she _should_ be thankful for his help.

Curious, Zim looked up to study her expression. Without realizing it, he found himself focusing almost entirely on her facial features. She seemed so calm under his touch, so relaxed. It was difficult to imagine her as the same deadly assassin who nearly killed him over a week ago. He continued to spread the medicine carefully while watching her chest slowly rise and fall with each breath. She was rather pleasant to look at, and he felt a sense of pride that her peaceful mood was due to the effect he was having on her.

When Tak opened her eyes again, she was more than a little stunned to find Zim staring directly back at her. Their gaze locked instinctively and for a brief moment, the world around them seemed to stand still. Blushing, Zim quickly adverted his eyes to the ground and went back to only focusing on applying medicine to her wound. Tak looked away as well, clearly embarrassed but trying her best to hide it.

 _What was that just now?_ she wondered. _The way he was looking at me. It was almost as if..._

She shook her head. _No. That's impossible. Even someone like him must have had those instincts subdued through rigorous training. Elite soldiers were kept far too busy are were far too important to even consider such things.  
_

Then, an idea struck her.

 _Wait, perhaps I can use this to my advantage._ She thought maliciously. _Maybe if I play along, he'll let his guard down enough to allow me to make my final move. It can't go any worse than anything I've already tried right? It's brilliant!_

She smirked mischievously. Liking the idea of toying with him, she lightly placed a hand under his chin and gently lifted his gaze back up to meet hers. At her sudden gentle touch, she felt his body go rigid. He allowed her to guide him closer and his eyes grew wide as she brought him within inches of her face.

Zim could do nothing but remain still while her seductive gaze held him in anticipation. _What is this feeling? h_ e wondered while trying ignore the sound of his own pulse beating a mile a minute in his chest. _Fear? Excitement?_ His mind was racing and he had never felt anything quite so exhilarating in his life! It was thrilling, yet terrifying. Just like the time he had completed his first rookie mission as a junior invader. He closed his eyes, waiting for something else to happen, even though he wasn't quite sure what. Then, without warning, he felt the full force of a dense metal pipe suddenly slam against the side of his head.

Skull throbbing and recoiling in pain, he rubbed the side of his temple and opened his eyes to look back at her in confusion.

"I suppose I _should_ thank you for saving my life," said Tak proudly, tossing her weapon of choice casually to the side. She approached him again and grabbed the cuff of his uniform, lifting him off the floor a few inches before bringing her face level with his. "But if you EVER touch me again, I will slice your arms off and shove them down your throat while I roast you alive. Understand?"

With only one eye open and the side of his head still throbbing in pain, he nodded nervously. Satisfied, she released her grip and allowed him to fall back onto the floor with a thud. Confused and fighting some other emotion he wasn't at all familiar with, he watched in awe as she exquisitely exited the storage room.

Dib, who had been watching the entire time, wisely took a few steps back to give her some room as she passed by. Without turning her head, she stopped and glared at him. Getting the hint, he held his hands up defensively. "I'm just uh...gonna go ahead and go," he said apprehensively.

She waited until he was well out of sight before turning to look back at Zim. The male Irken, still writhing in pain, only stared at her, confused beyond measure. To torture him one last time, she gave a wolfish smirk as the lab doors closed behind her.

 **Author's Note:** I deeply apologize for the long wait everyone had to endure while I was away. I was busy traveling and haven't had much spare time lately to finish up this chapter. Early on it was giving me a TON of trouble, but in the end I really liked the way it turned out. I think it speaks volumes about Dib's character that he had the perfect opportunity to turn Zim in and is beginning to realize it may not actually be what he actually wants all along. And now he knows something is going on between the two Irkens as well! As always, stay tuned for more!


	7. Curiosity

**Curiosity**

Zim struggled to concentrate during class, trying desperately to focus on the individualized scribbles presented on the chalk board, but it was a pointless effort. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't shake the thoughts of Tak from his head. The way she had looked at him, the way she had captivated him, he had never felt so helpless in his life.

He tugged on the corners of his wig and hunched over his desk in misery. He hated this feeling, whatever it was. It was like some greater, internal force had taken over and was gnawing at him to go back home and spend more time with her. He had hoped that by returning to school and putting some distance between them, it would have made things easier, but he couldn't have been more wrong. All it had done was increase his desire to be close to her and it confused him beyond belief. He knew he shouldn't care, but he did. He knew he should have left her to die when he had the chance, but couldn't. All he could do was wallow in misery while his head and his heart pitted against one another in a struggle for dominance.

* * *

Eventually lunch hour rolled around and as usual, Zim sat across Dib in the school cafeteria. Unlike the human boy who scarfed down his sandwich like a wild animal, the Irken merely poked at his with a fork. Not that it was anything new really. He had never eaten any of the food before and today was certainly no exception.

On the other side of the table, Dib munched on his meal and watched his enemy carefully with curious eyes. The incident with Tak had not gone unnoticed by the young paranormal investigator. He had spent far too long obsessing over Zim's behaviors to carelessly overlook it, and the chemistry between the two Irkens was more than apparent.

After swallowing a mouthful of peas, he forcefully slammed his spoon down on the table. "Okay, what's going on between you too?" he asked as if questioning a murder suspect.

Zim tilted his head to look up at him. "What are you talking about Earth-stink?"

Dib leaned in further with a skeptical glare. "Don't play dumb with me Zim. You know what I'm talking about!" He shoved a pointed finger in his direction. "The way you were looking at Tak the other day. It doesn't take a genius to figure out you're in love with her!"

Zim blinked a few times and stared at his rival in utter confusion. _Love?_ Had the boy gone completely insane? Other than the literal definition of the term, it never once crossed his mind. His kind were spawned in test tubes from birth and were taught one thing and one thing only; to obey the Tallest and play their part in the bigger role of universal conquest. There was simply no room for such foolishness.

"You saw nothing nosy little Earth monkey!" Zim snapped back, straightening his posture. "Tak merely required assistance and I was the only one around who could have provided it. Nothing more."

Dib shot him a skeptical look. "Uh huh. Sure Zim. And was that before or after she had you frozen inches from her face?"

Zim looked away shyly. "Well I uh..." He felt his cheeks flush a deeper green.

Dib huffed. "That's what I thought." Sitting back down on the bench, he relaxed his posture. "Look Zim, I'm not saying there's anything WRONG with falling for someone. It's just that with Tak, well...she IS trying to kill you. Haven't you even considered the possibility that it might be some kind of trick?"

Zim's expression hardened. "Idiotic fool! Of course I know it's a trick! Besides, unlike your pathetic species, my people aren't so weak as to allow AFFECTION to dictate our every move. Especially those of the Irken elite! Now if you don't mind Dib-worm, I am simply trying to stomach this horrible human FILTH your kind seems to so eagerly shove down their revolting food pipes every day."

"Oh please," returned Dib, rolling his eyes. "You can try and deny it all you want Zim, but you definitely have a thing for Tak. And if my species is so weak, then why do you constantly follow me around every day at school huh?"

Zim glared at him. "I already told you pathetic stink beast, I've lost interest in destroying your annoying little planet for the time being."

"Exactly!" Dib exclaimed, pointing an exaggerated finger at him. "You lost interest the moment Tak showed up! At first I was suspicious that you may be trying to trick me again, but once I saw that look you gave her, I knew everything I needed to know."

Zim scowled and slammed his fist down on the table. "YOU UNDERSTAND NOTHING BOTHERSOME DIRT CHILD! What could you possibly know about the intricate interactions between my people!?"

Dib shrugged. "Well... _You're_ Irken. _She's_ Irken. I mean come on Zim. You can't think I'm that stupid."

"OF COURSE YOU'RE STUPID! WHY ELSE WOULD YOU BE ASKING SUCH IDIOTIC QUESTIONS!?"

Dib opened his mouth slightly to reply, but then closed it again. "You know what Zim, you're right." He calmly sat back down on the bench and rested his hands against the table. "By all means, explain it to me. What makes your people so much better than mine?"

Realizing the human was baiting him into a corner, Zim crossed his arms and turned away. The truth was, he didn't know much about it either. The only interactions he had ever experienced with females were strictly professional or work related. They had been his commanding officers, his classmates, fellow invaders, customers, and most recently, assassins. Never once had he considered a romantic relationship with any of them. It just wasn't heard of in Irken society.

He continued to remain silent as the boy stared him down. Part of him wanted to deter the conversation by spilling the beans about his mission, about how his life was a joke and his leaders dumped him. It was possible out of all people, Dib might understand. He _was_ smarter than the average human and it may even be nice to have someone to talk to about it other than Tak. But Dib was still a human, and a human with many dangerous resources behind him. Giving his enemy that kind of information could be the very opportunity the boy was looking for.

Before he could dwell on it further, a group of kids unexpectedly rushed them from a nearby table.

"Hey you're Dib right?" asked the chunkiest one of the group. He was a shorter than two of them and appeared to be in a grade below. Zim took a moment to study the child and noticed he was dressed in a yellow T-shirt with a gaming logo, tan cargo shorts, and bright red sneakers. In a funny way, he reminded him a little of Skoodge.

"Uh, yeah." Dib answered suspiciously. Considering his hobbies usually consisted of chasing vampires and capturing pictures of Bigfoot, he had never really been comfortable with large groups of people surrounding him. Usually it resulted in painful, physical altercations. Or at the very least, insults.

To his surprise, the giddy child held out a permanent marker in front of him along with a photo. "Could I get your autograph?" he asked, practically bouncing in excitement.

Dib stared at the pen incredulously. "Uh, sure I guess." Feeling slightly out of place, he took it and signed the picture. The boy took a moment to appreciate his prize and then grinned from ear to ear.

"Oh man! Thank you so much!"

Dib watched as the eccentric child bounced back to his table to show off his newfound treasure to the rest of his friends. He tilted his head. "Huh, I guess I didn't realize our project was going to be that big a hit," he said, a light smile resting on his face. He turned back around only to find an empty space where Zim had been.

"Zim?" he questioned, glancing around the cafeteria. "Zim?" To his surprise, the Irken was nowhere in sight. _Hmm, that's odd_ , he thought, raising a finger to his chin. He then noticed Gaz approach and take her usual seat next to him and pull out her Gameslave. "Gaz! Have you seen Zim? He was just here a moment ago."

Gaz wrinkled her face in annoyance. "Last I saw, he was sneaking out the back way."

Dib turned away briefly to look around the cafeteria. "He's been acting so weird lately. Weirder than usual."

"You mean weirder than you?" Gaz jabbed back without looking up at him. She always wondered why her brother insisted on dragging her into every altercation when it came to Zim. Couldn't he see she had better things to do?

Dib shot her a scornful look. "I know what I saw the other day Gaz! He can't try and talk his way out of this one. I'm going to find out what he's hiding and I when I do, I'm going to make him tell me."

Gaz ignored him and began shoveling food into her mouth as she started up her Gameslave. She couldn't care less what those two idiots were up to.

* * *

Returningback to his base, Zim forcefully slammed the front door closed behind him. "Who does that sniveling little worm monkey think he is? Me, in love with Tak? PREPOSTEROUS!"

Taking a few steps inside, he looked over at Gir who was on the couch fully absorbed in some sappy, daytime soap opera. Zim's eye twitched in vexation at the mess the little robot had created. Dozens of empty yogurt containers were scattered around the floor along with a collection of empty, buttery popcorn buckets and wrinkled snack wrappers. And for no apparent reason, a single uneaten fried chicken leg sat in the middle of the room.

Too concerned with other matters to fret about the mess, Zim chose to ignore it and continue on toward the elevator. He nearly made it to the end of the living room when a line of dialogue from the show caught his attention.

"I love you Caroline. Please don't leave."

Antennae perking up, he turned to face the TV. _There it was again. Love, t_ _hat dreadful four letter word that the Dib-human was talking about._ _The humans seemed to throw it around frequently enough._ _What did it mean to them anyway?_

He turned toward the TV. It suddenly occurred to him that despite two years on Earth, he had never actually observed what true affection between two humans really looked like. His only experience had been with Tak, and she ironically turned out to be Irken as well.

Making up his mind, Zim cleared a section of the garbage ridden couch and took a seat. On screen was a desperate, but good looking human male talking to another well-groomed human female. The man was down on one knee and holding out a tiny bluish-purple box in the palm of his hand. The box seemed to carry some significance, because the female gasped when she saw it. He opened it up and inside was a shiny metal ring with a diamond on it.

The girl spoke softly, "Derrick, is that really-?"

The man nodded. "Please Caroline, don't go. Stay here, with me."

The human female stared down at him with a sad expression and sullenly shook her head. "But Derrick, I have to," she stated dramatically. "This is promotion is a big opportunity and I will never have another chance like it."

The man's face fell. "But...I love you. Please stay."

The woman's eyes teared up and not able to take it any longer, she turned around and sprinted away. The camera slowly panned out and the credits began to roll.

Zim nearly jumped out of his skin when Gir's ear-piercingly loud wail filled the room. The little robot had tears streaming down his eyes and was wiping them away with some tissues he magically dispensed from the top of his head.

Ignoring his companion, Zim brought a hand to his chin. _Hmmm._ _Perhaps observing this silly program may help fill me in on what the Dib human was referring to. Tak should still be recovering in the medical bay. That should give me a few hours to finish an episode._

After an hour and half of watching, Zim soon found himself fully absorbed in the show. Of course, he had always been prone to binge watching when he was supposed to be doing other things, but this time it actually served a purpose. From what he could determine so far, the humans seemed to still be in touch with their primitive mating rituals. Unlike his species, they had a natural ability to bond with one another. Sure Irkens were known to have allies or even friends, but from what he could tell, human interaction was much more...intimate. There seemed to be some hidden force that drew them close to one another, so much so that they usually ended up sharing the rest of their lives together, or even starting a family.

 _But that is nothing like my situation!_ Zim mentally shouted at himself. _Tak only utilizes my base for her own personal gain and the amount of time we spend together is minuscule compared to these two pathetic fools. How could the Dib human make such a nonsensical accusation?_

By the time the third episode rolled around, the man who had been left behind finally made it to the far-off country where the woman had taken up her new job. He spent weeks searching for her, and by using his knowledge of her workplace, finally managed to catch her one day. Then, when they noticed one another, they reunited for a long, drawn out, romantic kiss.

Zim tilted his head as he observed the two characters locked together in emotional bliss. _What a strange ritual_ , he thought to himself. _What was the point of it exactly? To greet one another after a long time apart?_ _Words worked perfectly fine for that. And the humans didn't seem to need it for anything else, so why was it so important?_

It was all too confusing. He had vaguely heard of such an act before, but it was rare and he had only seen it in a handful of other species. Still, it had to mean something important. Why else would it be so heavily emphasized in their television broadcast?

With the episode over and questions still burning, Zim hopped down from the couch to switch the TV over to the communications network. As expected, Gir did not take it well. The little robot began shrieking immediately and started running around the room like the end of the world was upon them.

"Gir! Enough!" Zim barked, annoyed by his minion's objections. "And clean up your mess! You can watch more of the show once this place is picked up."

"But I NEED to know what happens!" Gir wined desperately. "I need to know BAD or I will explode!" He immediately latched onto his master and continued to let the waterworks continue to flow. "Derrick loves her so much! That man just loves her so much!"

Using a hefty amount of strength, Zim managed to shove the little robot off of him. "No! You can watch the rest of the show later! Right now I have an important call to make."

Gir's face lit up. "And then we can eat pie?" he said excitedly.

Zim stared at him blankly. After so many years spent together, he still sometimes failed to understand what went on in the tiny SIR unit's head. "Um...sure Gir. Just get this place cleaned up first."

"BLUUUUUEEEEEberry pie?"

"Yes, yes. Blueberry pie. Now go!"

Switching to a state of joy, Gir squealed in excitement and used his jets to fly around the room. Zim let out a sigh and proceeded to make the call.

"Computer! Connect me with Inquisitous the Observer!"

A series of beeps were heard, but the connection failed to establish. "Sir, it appears that Inquisitous has blocked all communications from Earth. Apparently a particular human annoyed him by calling everyday with tedious questions."

Zim growled. _Curse you Dib._ "Alright, fine! Then connect me to prisoner 777!"

The computer did as it was commanded and a connection to the infamous Vort prison was successfully established. On screen appeared a depressed, tired Vortian prisoner. He let out a long, drawn out sigh.

"Ugh, what is it you want from me now Zim?"

Zim cleared his throat. "It just so happens I have an important task you can help me with 777. I need you to look into the history of Irken reproduction. Not the hatching facilities everyone already knows about, but how it used to be carried out traditionally in the past."

There was a long, silent pause as the Vortian stared at him blankly. "That's a uh...rather _unusual_ request sir. And quite a personal one at that. Might I ask why you have such a sudden interest?"

"Hey, I'm the one asking the questions here!" shouted Zim. "Now tell me! What do you know?"

The tiny Vortian shifted uncomfortably in his cell. "Well, to be honest, that information is pretty much unknown to everyone in existence now." He flinched as the Irken gave him a disapproved scowl. "Have you tried contacting the Inquisitorians? I'm sure one of them has the information written down somewhere."

Zim recoiled in frustration. "I am unable to get through to Inquisitous at the moment." He simmered in annoyance when an idea hit him. "Wait a minute! YOU can contact them for me!"

The Vortian's posture deflated. "Why do you always allot me with such trivial tasks?"

Zim's eyes narrowed and he threw a pointed finger toward the monitor. "YOU WILL find out what they know and report it back to me immediately, or this time I really WILL erase your children from existence! Do you understand prisoner!?"

The stubby alien sighed. "Alright. I'll see what I can do. But don't blame me if I can't find anything. That information is likely to be long lost by now and it will be difficult to convince my supervisor why I need to make the call."

Zim gruntled. "Just find out whatever you can and report back to me as soon as possible!"

The transmission ended and no more than a few seconds later, a banging on the door demanded his attention.

"Ugh, what now," Zim groaned, leaving Gir to happily reclaim his precious television. Putting his disguise back into place, he opened up the door.

Arather annoyed Dib stood in his doorway.

"You ditched me you jerk!" the boy spat angrily.

Zim shrugged in indifference. "So?"

Dib stared back at him vacantly. "So? You can't just-" He paused. Come to think of it, Zim did have a good point. While they weren't trying to kill each other anymore, that still didn't make them friends. And technically Zim didn't HAVE to go to school, being an alien and all. If he really wanted to, he could walk out whenever he pleased.

"Uh, what I meant to say was..." Dib reagjusted his posture to correct his earlier statement. "What was so important that you had to rush home right away?"

Before Zim could formulate an answer, Gir popped up between them. "We've been watching Caroline!" he squealed happily in his dog costume before bringing his arms in to hug himself.

Dib stared back at Zim in disbelief. "Seriously? Your left school to watch some sappy daytime soap drama?"

"It was for research!" Zim shouted back defensively, shoving Gir behind him.

Dib's eyelids fell halfway to an unconvinced gaze. "Uh huh. Sure Zim. Research on what? Finding out ways to show Tak how much you _love_ her?"

Zim blushed faintly. "No! And for your information Earth-stink, I was using the show as a means to determine what the term means in your species context."

"My species context?" asked Dib confused. "What? You mean like dating?"

Zim threw his arms up in frustration. "What is it with you humans? Why must you have so many words to describe something you claim is so simple? Love? Dating? Kissing? It all confuses Zim!"

Dib could only stare at the bemused Irken while he had his minor meltdown. _Was he serious?_ Did his species really not know what love was? It didn't make any sense. Zim obviously felt SOMETHING for Tak. If he had the potential to feel attraction, why was he so incapable of understanding it? It was obvious he was at least interested in her, so why was it so difficult for him to accept it?

"Geez. It's really not that complicated Zim," Dib explained halfheartedly. "Dating is when two people spend time together and see if they like each other or have anything in common. Love is more like the deep connection they form between them once they get to know each other. Doesn't your species have anything like that?"

"No."

"No?" Dib cocked his head in confusion. "Then how do you...uh...well you know?"

Zim gave him a funny look. "How do I what?"

Dib decided to drop the subject. "N-nevermind. Look, it's obvious you're at least interested in Tak. And if want her to like you back, then you're going to have to try and be nice to her. Get her a gift or ask her to go with you somewhere. You know, stuff like that."

"Those are nothing more than foolish HUMAN tactics," spat Zim, turning his head away, unimpressed.

"Hey it's better than what you've got," countered Dib. "Which, from the sounds of it, is absolutely nothing!"

Zim paused a moment to think on the matter. "Well I suppose she COULD assist me with improving the Voot Cruiser. It has been acting strange lately and her knowledge of ship building has proven to be rather impressive." He rubbed the edge of his chin. "Hmmm. You seem to know an awful lot about this topic Dib-stink. Why is it that you aren't surrounded by a flock of human females?"

Dib gave him a disgruntled look. "That's not exactly how human dating works Zim," he grumbled, feeling a bit insulted. It was no secret that he wasn't exactly Mr. Popular at school, but he hadn't really minded since none of the girls took any of his interests seriously anyway. Secretly though, he had always kind of hoped he would run into someone who shared his passion with the paranormal. Unfortunately, those people tended to be in very, VERY short supply.

Ignoring Dib disgruntled state, Zim paced back and forth thinking on the matter. He liked the human's suggestion of getting Tak a gift, but not so much the thought of what would happen to him if she hated it. It would have to be something meaningful, something she would find useful. Something she couldn't throw back into his face.

But what?

"Are you positive these techniques will work?" he asked, recapturing the human's attention.

Dib shrugged sarcastically. "How should I know Zim? I've never dated a girl before, remember?"

The statement of sarcasm seemed to fly right over the Irken's head because the next thing Dib knew, Zim was once again lost in deep thought. He sighed and looked over his rival with pity. The alien was obviously struggling with the situation and while he himself may not have had any experience with dating, he still knew what it felt like to want to impress someone. For a long time, he had wanted nothing more than for his dad to finally accept his hobbies and recognize his talents. And despite all the torment that his younger sister gave him, he still came running to her aid when she had gotten the curse of the hog demon.

But Zim had no one. Other than Gir, he was the only one of his kind alone on a foreign planet with hardly anyone to talk to except a young boy who was adamant on exposing him to the world. It would make sense that he would fall for Tak so quickly, even when she showed even the slightest hint of interest. The only problem was, Tak hated him. And she had made it abundantly clear when she had made it her goal to set out to kill him.

But if by some miracle Zim DID manage to win her over, then maybe he would leave Earth! Maybe he and Tak would start a life somewhere together and leave him alone for good! He thought on the matter hopefully, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. _She already mentioned that she had no interest in taking over the planet,_ he thought. _Maybe this is just the distraction Zim needs!  
_

Suddenly his mind shifted gears to a darker, more unpleasant possibility. _On the other hand, if Tak decided to take over Earth alongside him, then there would be no stopping them. I may be able to handle ONE Irken trying to take over the world, but two? Zim alone is enough of a handful, and if Tak were on his side...I don't know what I'd do._

Dib shook his head to clear the disturbing thoughts from his mind _No! It's still too valuable a chance to pass up! Besides, I might even be able keep her ship if I play my cards right! Gotta stay positive!_

Shifting his hands to rest behind his back, Dib straightened his posture. "You know Zim, I'm no expert. But if you want, I think I can help you out."

Curious about his counterpart's sudden change in demeanor, Zim opened up one eye suspiciously. "And how do you intend to accomplish that human?"

The boy twiddled his thumbs nervously. "Well, actually I haven't come up with any ideas right now, but if you filled me in a little more about your species courtship rituals, then I MIGHT be able to help."

Zim stared back at him in silence. A moment passed between them and they could have sworn a hawk cried out overhead.

"BE GONE WITH YOU HUMAN!" Zim shouted, throwing his arms up in frustration. "You do nothing but waste Zim's valuable time standing here with your THOUGHT things! Until you have any USEFUL information to tell me, I wish to sort out these meddlesome endeavors on my own!"

He slammed the door in front of him, leaving Dib standing alone on the porch.

"Fine Zim!" the boy shouted, raising a fist against the closed door. "Just don't come crying to me when Tak goes and rips your head off because you were too stupid to listen! Oh and don't forget, we are meeting at my Dad's lab again tomorrow. He said he's got something there he wants us to take a look at!"

On the other side of the door, Zim ignored him and waited for him to leave. He muttered under his breath. "Meddlesome dirt child _."_ When he finally heard Dib's footsteps fade away, he looked around the room trying to remember what it was he planned on doing next.

There was still the rest of the show that Gir was watching, but that no longer held his interest. With both distractions gone, the thoughts of Tak began to invade his mind again. He had liked the idea of asking her to help with his ship, and with her skills and salvaging background, she could add some serious upgrades to his interface. _But she'd never agree to it,_ he thought sourly. _Not unless..._

His antennae perked up.

 _Unless she gets something in return!_

Getting an idea, he quickly dashed down to the storage bay where the medical stash was still hidden away. Placing his hand against the bioscanner, he it hissed open, revealing his valuable cache inside.

 _Let's see. Which one did she need?_ he thought to himself as he rummaged through the pile. _This one? Yes, it will be good for healing. And this one should help with the pain!_ After collecting over a dozen bottles in his arms, he hurried back to the elevator and carried them back up to the medical bay.

When he entered the chamber, he was relieved to find Tak still resting peacefully on her recovery bed. Her body was limp, and she seemed to be fully unconscious. He approached the countertop next to her and very carefully, set down the armful of supplies.

After making sure none of them would fall, he took a moment to study her expression. Her eyes were closed and on her face, she wore a slight frown. Her skin, while still relatively pale, was much healthier than before, and even though her muscles were relaxed, it looked like some of her strength had finally returned.

He glanced down at the area of the plasma infection and winced. Part of him hated that the injury was caused because of him. She no longer appeared to be in any pain, but the wound had been rather severe, and would still need some time before she made a full recovery.

The thought brought him back to the moment of finding her hunched over in pain. It was odd really. Unlike the time in the rain, he hadn't wanted her to die. Countless other Irkens had met their fate in front of him and he couldn't have cared less, but something about seeing HER suffering made him feel different. Even before she touched him on the chin, he had started to feel strange around her. At first he suspected it was guilt, that her constant accusations of him ruining her life had finally started to sink in, but even after saving her life a second time, those feelings had not gone away.

He looked down at the area where the bandages met the edge of her uniform. The wound looked to be making steady progress healing, but was still wrapped in the same old layer he had applied would need to be changed, and he was the only one around.

He reached down to remove the cloth, but hesitated. _Wait. should I really be examining her while she's unconscious?_ he questioned. He didn't exactly feel right about the scenario. Her life wasn't in immediate danger and she wasn't suffering in overwhelming pain. He knew he hadn't asked permission before, but that was when circumstances were different.

Disregarding his better judgement, he decided just to go for it and very lightly, pinched the edges of the cloth lining. He only managed to lift the gauze a few inches before he felt the grasping power of her claws suddenly clench tightly around his neck.

"I thought I made it clear never to touch me again!" she snarled, squeezing him harder and staring into him with blazing eyes.

Zim struggled to free himself, but despite Tak's weakened state, she somehow still had an iron grip. He pointed toward the medication in an attempt to communicate. "Got...for...you," he choked, desperately trying to pry himself loose.

Disgusted that she had allowed him to get so close to her, Tak only increased her grip on him. "What?" she questioned angrily.

"Brought...medicines...for you."

Puzzled by the uncharacteristic generosity, she decided to release him, and he fell to the ground with a thud. Coughing violently, he rubbed his neck from the firm contact. He had used the last of his breath to get the final words out and his voice was hoarse, like a smoker who hadn't quit for years.

Ignoring him, Tak glanced over at the collection of containers that were now scattered around the floor. She picked one of the bottles up and studied it curiously. "What kind of fool do you take me for?" She asked, shooting him a glowering expression.

Zim stared at her inquiringly. "Eh?"

"These have obviously been tampered with. Only an imbecile would be stupid enough to use them!" She forcefully chucked the small bottle at him, causing it to lightly ricochet off his forehead.

Recovering from the impact, Zim swatted at the air briefly and glared back at her. He couldn't help but feel insulted at her accusation. Granted, she did have reason to be suspicious. After all, she WAS a direct threat to him and helping someone out wasn't exactly in his nature.

"I have done nothing to them Tak beast!" he shouted back defensively. "They are a gift I've presented and I, ZIM, have chosen to surrender them to you to demonstrate my...um... _generous_ hospitality."

"Hospitality?" Tak repeated, wholly unconvinced. "And what is it you're after in exchange I wonder? Don't tell me this is your way of begging me not to kill you? If it is, then it's a rather pathetic attempt."

Zim's eyes narrowed. "Zim begs for nothing! Although..." He tapped an index claw against the side of his head casually while avoiding eye contact. "I _could_ use some help on installing some upgrades to my ship. I was rather impressed with your technological skills and wouldn't object to having you assist me improve the Voot."

Tak stared at him bewildered and a hush fell between them. _Has he lost his mind!?_ How dare he demand her to help fix up his broken-down pile of garbage! Did he think she would really stoop to such a level, helping a defective make improvements around his base? Absurd!

She had to admit however, it WAS a little flattering to hear him admit her skills outclassed his own. Not many male Ikrens would own up to such a fact. If it had been anyone else, she might have considered it, but coming from him, it was especially out of the question.

Tak carefully and calmly set the medicine bottle back on the nearby counter. "While your offer Zim is...unexpected, I would NEVER agree to help you. Not after everything you've done to me. And besides, in case you have forgotten, the Tallest grounded you here on this miserable little planet. Upgrading your ship would only enhance your abilities of getting away, and we both now I can't allow that."

Zim couldn't help but feel a bit let down by her rejection, but maked it behind a disappointed glare. Searching for a way to salvage the situation, he struggled to come up with another offer. "Then...maybe some assistance helping you venture throughout the base will change your mind! You still need to clean your PAK's circuits from Gir's honey, yes? I can help you to a workstation!"

Tak opened her mouth to protest, but before she could refuse, Zim pressed a button on a nearby control pad. The bed she was on suddenly tilted vertically, and forced her to slide off onto the cold floor. The sudden drop caught her by surprise, and she did her best to remain upright while her legs made contact with the solid surface. Using an ample amount of strength, she tried to catch her balance, but wobbled. She was still far too weak to support her weight on her own, and her muscles were not ready for full, self-sufficient mobility.

Feeling gravity shift beneath her, she instinctively threw her arms out to catch her balance. Zim, realizing his mistake, quickly leapt in her path to catch her. Taking a step forward, he struggled to counter her weight as she crashed into him. He felt her body push against his ches and his arms wrapped around her to prevent her from falling further. He felt her arms latch onto his soulders and he tightened his grip around her waist. When all was said and done, they were staring face to face like two ice skaters who had just just completed a fancy duet.

Tak felt her pulse beat rapidly, aware of the closeness of their proximity. Her immediate instinct was to shove him away accompanied by a very serious death threat, but her body was far too stunned to come up with such a response. She had become paralyzed, like her mind was too shocked to formulate any rational tried moving her arms, but they were frozen in place. Ecen her facial muscles seemed to betray her as she struggled to rip her eyes away from his own. She could feel his alien equivalent of a heart beat rapidly against hers, and the temperature in the room seemed to have climbed several degrees.

Sensing the tenin the air, Zim awkwardly set her back down on the ground. He took a step back and cleared his throat.

"I um..." He struggled to finish the thought, but didn't know exactly what it was he wanted to say.

Tak stared back at him with an unreadable expression. Her face was flushed with embarrassment and she wasn't quite sure what to think of it either. She had never felt a rush quite like that before, and it certainly wasn't just from the brief moment of free fall. _It shouldn't mean anything right?_ she shrugged mentally. _It was just my survival training kicking in, that's all._

Disregarding it as nothing more than the after-effects of an adrenaline rush, she finally came to her senses and forcefully shoved him away.

"Get your filthy hands off me," she demanded forcefully. "What gives you the right to examine me like one of your pitiful Earth experiments?"

"You were going to need to change out those bandages sometime," he explained casually. "I was just about to do the honors when you wrapped your menacing claws around my delicate throat!"

Tak stared daggers into him. "And when that time comes, I am more than capable of handling it myself!"

Zim glared back at her. "I was only trying to offer my assistance! It would be difficult to accomplish on your own."

"Then enable my Pak and let me do it myself!"

"YOU DARE command Zim in his own base!"

"I'll dare to say whatever if it gets you to leave me alone!"

"NONSENSE!" Before she could dwell on it further, he held out his hand to properly offer his assistance.

She looked at it dubiously. "You're joking right?"

Zim straightened his body to stand more erect. "I assure you, there are no jokes. Only the help of ZIM!"

Eying him skeptically, she decided to go ahead and let him assist her. Swallowing her pride, she reached out and took his hand in hers. To her surprise, he yanked her up and pulled her arm over his shoulders, transferring most of her weight onto him.

Tak felt her face go red as he pulled her closer into him. She hadn't expected him to be so strong. He then let go of her hand, allowing it to drape carelessly across his shoulders. He took a few steps forward, expecting her to follow suit. Getting the hint, she latched onto his shoulder and did the same. Working togther, he carried her step by step out of the medical bay.

Tak stole a glance at Zim as he helped her limp though the halls of his base. _Why is he doing this?_ she wondered. _For Irk's sake, I'm trying to kill him! What benefit could he possibly gain from helping me recover?_

She searched her database of knowledge for any possible explanation.

 _Perhaps my plan had worked too well,_ she concluded arrogantly. Like some of the other male Irkens she'd tricked in the past, he too must have taken a liking to her relatively quickly. _Such weak minded fools_ , she thought loftly. Unlike Zim's privileged upbringing, she had been cast into a different world, a lower one where relationships between Irkens wasn't all that uncommon. She'd taken advantage of countless others to get what she wanted, and every single one had been fool enough to fall for it. Of course, she never let it get very far. While it wasn't a total secret, it still was highly frowned upon to develop a romantic relationship with another Irken. Unlike the humans, if their kind put love before work, they were expected to dismiss their career entirely and settle for being branded as a defective. Only a fool would sacrifice their future for something so pointless.

But yet, here she was, catching herself sneaking a peak at the so called imbecile. Despite his lack of intelligence, she ahd to admit he wasn't all that bad looking. And his behavior of late had even been almost kind, in its own bizarre, twisted way. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to have him cater to her every need for a while. At the very least, she would get some entertainment out of it.

Conflicted with her own personal thoughts, she shook her head and brought her eyes forward to stare straight ahead. _And what about that request?_ she thought, recalling him asking to repair the Voot. She pictured what it would be like, the two of them working side by side with one another. To her surprise, the idea didn't completely repulse her. An opportunity to finally show off her skills always made her feel a bit giddy inside. It even sounded kind of fun.

She shoved the thoughts aside as they reached the entrance of the lab. Once she was beside the workbench, he ducked down and swiftly slid her arm off his shoulder. She found it disappointing when he pulled away and left her to stand on her own. The space he had once occupied suddenly felt cold and empty. And without him there to help her, she found it was surprisingly difficult to move around on her own.

Her face must have communicated her thoughts because the next thing she knew, Zim ordered MiniMoose over to assist her.

"Minimoose!"

 _Nyah!_ The little moose floated over to his master.

"Tak requires assistance while she makes repairs to her PAK. I have other matters I need to attend to. Please do not leave her side until she is finished."

 _Nyah!_

The little moose did as its master commanded and floated alongside Tak at the repair table. Ignoring the minion, Tak watched Zim go as he disappeared to the opposite end of the lab. It was an odd feeling as she watched him go. Part of her had an urge to call him back and ask him to help her with the repairs, but the other part of her wanted to shoot herself in the head for even thinking of such a thing. This was Zim after all, the same little selfish, mindless, egotistical maniac that had destroyed her entire life in the blink of an eye. She had sworn she would not lose sight of that.

And still, something about his demeanor had her intrigued. His behavior, while still eccentric, seemed almost gentlemanly toward her. Perhaps in his own way, he really was trying to help her.

"Good," she muttered to herself, forcing thought of her head. _If I continue to seduce him, he won't even see the attack coming. It's perfect._

She allowed Minimoose to assist her while she carefully disconnected her PAK and without even asking, the little henchmafetched the exact tool she needed to work.

 _Nyah._

It presented the tool out to her with his antlers. She looked down and apprehensively before taking it in her hands.

"Uh...thanks."

She opened her PAK and began to get to work, only to have the thoughts of Zim's latest actions still twirling in her mind.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Oh my god. I cannot stress enough how much trouble this chapter gave me. I must have rewritten it six or seven times before I felt it was good enough to let off the leash. And even then, there are still probably a bunch of errors that I will have to go back and correct. Oh well.

To get more in depth, I wanted to make it feel believable that Zim and Tak are starting to feel something toward one another, but are so resistant to it. With Irken society being the way it is, I can imagine it would be almost taboo for them to give into their emotions, even if it's more than obvious they like each other. I also wanted to include a backstory for Tak since she really wasn't given much of one in the show. It would only make sense that the reason she was so motivated to work hard, was to climb out of her mediocre, lessor status in society.

As for Zim, we all know he is WAY too incompetent to be an invader. Either he has gotten INSANELY lucky all his life, or it's possible he could have been gifted with invader DNA and was just thrown into invader training from the start. It may go against what some fans think, but I like the idea of him being sheltered and unfamiliar with Irken courtship. I also can't imagine an entire species, even though they've lost the ability to reproduce traditionally, would be able to fully abandon their instincts completely. Nature has a way of ingraining those things.

Anyway, hope you guys liked this one! If there's a segment in here that I used in a previous chapter please let me know. I could have sworn I already included the bit about Zim wanted to tell Dib about his mission, but maybe I've just been writing too long. Also for some reason, the horizontal lines don't seem to be showing up in my chapters, so I apologize for that. Till Next time!


	8. The Games We Play

**The Games We Play**

Tak growled in frustration as she forcibly yanked her PAK free for the hundredth time. "Useless pile of rubbish," she cursed, slamming it back down on the workstation. It had been nearly a full week since the honey had been cleaned out, and the ability to disable Zim's stupid lockout mechanisms still eluded her. She'd tried everything she could think of. From trying to pry it open manually, to carefully booting up the lockout systems from scratch, but absolutely nothing seemed to work

Setting her tools down, she sighed in defeat. It was probably a meaningless effort anyway. An Irken PAK was a highly complex piece of technology and one of the few things NOT constructed on Vort. More than likely Zim had tied hers to the same mechanisms he'd used to lock down her SIR unit, and without his release code, there wasn't much more she could do. Overriding it MIGHT allow her to regain control, but it could also inadvertently trigger the base to corrode Mimi. And considering her precious robot was just about the only thing she had left, she wasn't sure she was willing to take that risk.

 _Perhaps it's time I force him to cough up the codes_ , she thought maliciously. After all, she'd wasted enough time trying to seduce him into submission. Her progress had been sluggish to say the least and he'd proven to be far more stubborn than the average male Irken. She wasn't even sure if she was getting anywhere at all. There were times where she thought _something_ was going through his mind. She often caught him looking at her, but still couldn't be entirely sure he was interested.

His change in behavior was her biggest clue. One night, when they were both upstairs on the couch watching some ridiculous Earth documentary, he'd caught her eying the snacks he was munching from his limited Irken supply. She turned away of course, appearing to act uninterested. But instead of keeping them all to himself, he surprisingly offered her a whole, unopened bag of chips.

She'd been completely perplexed by such a selfless gesture. It seemed so out of character for him, something that she would never have pictured him doing in a million years. They were rations he refused to share with anyone, not even Gir, and he had offered them to her as if they were nothing. Still, it didn't necessarily mean that he liked her. He could have just wanted the extra company since he was doomed to live out the rest of his life in exile. And if she was honest with herself, she hadn't really minded spending the hour with him learning about Earth's delicate marine ecosystem.

She shook her head in disgust, dismissing the memory. She knew she should have been proud of the effect she had on him, but lately there was something else that was bothering her. It was in the way he looked at her, the way he cared for her, the way she _felt_ when he was around.

She'd noticed it a while ago, but decided to write it off as nothing more than a careless afterthought. She caught herself watching him vigilantly as he scrubbed the kitchen floors free of germs, only for her to turn away blushing when he looked up at her with a confused glance. Often times, she would gravitate toward the areas of the base where he spent most of his time carrying out his daily tasks, even if she had no real reason to be there. When he questioned her about it, she always used the same excuse, that she needed to keep an eye on him to make sure he wasn't planning anything against her. But deep down she knew the real reason, and that was what disturbed her to her very core.

She shut her eyes and inhaled deeply, trying to shove it all out of her mind. _No. It can't be possible._ _Not him. Not after all he's done_ _._

She began pacing the floor anxiously, weighing her options. _He's a complete idiot, an utter buffoon._ _I would become a laughing stalk._ _The Tallest would never take me seriously again. NO ONE would._

She knew what had to be done. If she didn't put a stop to this soon, her last opportunity and everything she'd worked so hard for would soon go up in smoke. She was starting to get attached to him, and she needed to finish the job before it was too late.

 _Poison?_ she pondered, considering various options. _No, that would be too obvious and difficult to get him to consume. PAK separation?_ She shook her head. _He'd never let me get close enough while separated from his._ She continued to pace back and forth anxiously while running through possible scenarios in her head. _An explosion? Sure, that might work, especially if it ripped him to pieces. But how would I-_

She stopped.

"Computer!" She tilted her head to look up toward the ceiling. "Where is Zim located now?"

A few beeps responded indicating it was listening. "The master is currently working in the Voot Cruiser repair bay. Would you like me to fetch him for you?"

Tak's antennae perked up. _The Voot Cruiser? Was he planning on taking off somewhere?_

She tightened her fists so that the elastic fabric squeezed tightly on her gloves. "No, that won't be necessary. Just send the elevator to my level." Her eyes narrowed. "I'll go down there to deal with him myself."

* * *

After finishing a long morning of regular chores, Zim found himself tinkering away with the mechanisms used for auto-repairing his ship. The work was tedious, but a welcome distraction compared to the mountain of problems he was currently dealing with.

Ever since the awkward encounter in the medical bay, he had been avoiding Tak at all costs. He knew that if he saw her, he would want to be near her, and if he got near her, he would want to be closer to her. It was like she had cast a spell on him, like every fiber of his being was on edge and it was slowly starting to drive him insane. Nothing made sense anymore. He knew she was a threat and that he should want to destroy her, but the motivation just wasn't there. Instead, he found himself becoming more interested in trying to impress her.

He worked diligently, the sparks in front of him emitting a bright, blinding white light. Around his head he wore a pair of red, specialized goggles that fit snugly around his skull. Not only did they protect him from the harmful rays, but they also highlighted the individual, minuscule components he was currently focused on. With careful precision, they guided his hand to the proper, pinpoint locations.

He paused and took a moment to analyze his progress. He only needed to make a few more minor tweaks before the the repairs were complete. Without looking up from his limited field of view, he held out his hand stiffly to the side. "Gir! The Gorgitwrench! Quickly!"

He waited for his minion to bring him the tool, but his request went unfulfilled. Still holding his arm out, he waved it around impatiently. " _Now_ Gir,"

Once again, the little robot failed to obey. Irritated, Zim turned his head to glance over at the spot where Gir was sitting moments ago. It was now empty, and all that remained was a half-completed coloring book and a few abandoned crayons.

He let out an exasperated growl and was about to rip off the goggles and search for his minion's whereabouts when the requested tool suddenly appeared out of the corner of his eye. "Ah. Thank you Gir," he said, breathing a sigh of relief. He took it and gladly continued working, but only got through about two and half turns before he realized that it hadn't been a tiny robot hand that handed it to him, but a familiar, black, gloved one.

Dropping the wrench, he turned to look over at her immediately. "T-Tak?" he stuttered, surprised by her presence. "W-what are you doing down here?"

As if she just caught a child sneaking cookies from the cookie jar, she presumptuously stepped into his field of view. "Hm, awfully jumpy today aren't we Zim?" she taunted, stretching the goggles out to reveal his panicked, maroon-colored eyes. When they reached the limit of their elasticity, she let go of them, causing them to snap back against his forehead with powerful force. "And why would that be? You weren't planning on leaving the planet were you?"

Still recovering from the stinging sensation, Zim yanked off the goggles. "N-no of course not. I was just uh..." Feeling his pulse quicken, he tapped his claws together nervously trying to think of a good excuse. He watched as she closed in on him, her hands held elegantly behind her back. He couldn't help but notice she also had cut off his only path of retreat.

"Just...what?" she questioned mischievously, fully aware of the effect she was having on him. She leaned in closer.

"I um..." Zim stared back at her, completely at a loss for words. He was trying to come up with a good excuse, but his brain seemed to be hijacked. Her deep violet eyes held his hostage as beads of sweat slithered down his collar. She'd made it crystal clear that he was not to do any repairs or leave the planet without her permission, and now that she had caught him red-handed, there wasn't a single excuse in the word that could talk him out of it.

She drew closer to him, causing a chill to run down his spine. He fidgeted anxiously as she hovered around him. He knew she still didn't have her spider legs to use as a weapon, but that didn't mean she wasn't a threat. Tak was very resourceful, and now that her wounds were mostly healed, there were more than enough pain-inducing objects around the base for her to use at her disposal.

Closing in the space between them, he watched as she brought a hand up and lightly rested it against his cheek. Paralyzed, he stood perfectly still, his blood pounded rapidly against his skull.

 _Hey, what is this!_ His mind screamed at him while watching her every move. She'd never touched him before, even when she was acting this way. Why was she getting so close!?

With a smirk, she lightly traced the side of his cheek up to the top of his head. He remained frozen, not having any indication as to what was going on. He had seen such a pattern before, but only when she was after something or when she simply felt like tormenting him. He'd been fooled enough times to know the end result was usually painful.

He wanted to reach out to her, to touch her the same way she was touching him, but he restrained himself. He knew it was all a ploy, that she was out to get something from him. He refused to break his resolve. Keeping his arms stiffly at his sides, he closed his eyes.

Piqued by his stubbornness, Tak decided it was time to change tactics. Still holding him under her siren-like spell, she moved her claws up even further until they reached the very top of his head. His body stiffened as she gently pinched the base of one of his antennae.

Like any Irken, the two appendages atop his head were highly sensitive and could be subjected to extreme pain if yanked or even twisted the wrong way. Tak smirked at him nefariously. She knew full well what he was anticipating and enjoyed the potential prospect of proving him wrong. Tactically positioning her thumb and index finger on either side, she carefully and delicately ran her claws along the thin, fragile appendage.

Zim shivered intensely at the unexpected sensation. It was unlike anything he had ever experienced. Like a shock wave of pleasure, the feeling radiated from his head to his toes, causing every nerve in his body to fire off in unison. It wasn't long before his muscles involuntarily went limp in response and with each smooth, calculated stroke, he felt as if his strength leaving him little by little.

Tak watched with satisfaction as he quivered beneath her. Her original plan had been to forcibly extract the information out of him as quickly as possible, but without even realizing it, she found herself immersed in his surprisingly charming features. His skin, which was a actually a rather nice shade of green, was healthy and smooth, and despite being somewhat small for an Irken, his head was an attractive proportion compared to the rest of his body. His antennae, that she so delicately caressed between her fingers, were long, sturdy and straight and his facial features were clam and relaxed.

In a way, he almost looked...handsome.

She thought back to some of the things she'd noticed while observing him throughout the base. She'd always taken him for a selfish moron, but there were some impressive qualities in him too. For one, he was an excellent master to Gir. If it had been her who received such a pathetic excuse of a SIR unit, she would have scrapped it for parts a long time ago. But Zim handled Gir surprisingly well. He was extremely patient with him, and even when the little abomination was making his life a living nightmare, he still resisted raising his voice and was exceptionally tolerant of his messes.

Shaking her head vigorously, she shoved such thoughts from her mind. _No, what am I thinking?_ _This is Zim we're talking about. No one in their right mind would ever want to be with someone like him!_ She stared down at his composed demeanor, a mix of confusion and anger bubbling up inside her. His knees had given out and he was now resting in her arms with a big goofy smile on his face.

 _I can't let him win like this,_ she thought desolately, only becoming more upset by the minute. _I should be making him suffer_. _He's the one responsible for ruining my life! He deserves to pay!_

Her face transforming to a frown, she took a firm grip of his antennae. _It's not supposed to be like this_ _!_ _He should have been dead by my hand by now! I should be on my way back to the Tallest! Back to becoming an invader!  
_

Her muscles tensed as she tightened her grip on him. He flinched a little at the small shock of pain and his eyes popped open.

 _It's all just a trick!_ _He doesn't really feel anything for me. I would be a fool for letting him go now!_

The tension in the room had reached an all time high, and when she was only seconds away from doubling down on her finishing move, a beeping notification broke her concentration. She glanced over at the nearby monitor as it floated into her view. She stared at the flashing message with raging eyes.

It was a reminder that Zim was supposed to meet the Dib-human in less than an hour.

Irritated by the disturbance, she ignored it and it turned her attention back down to the bewitched Irken beneath her. Except now, she found him staring auspiciously straight back at her.

She froze in place and felt her muscles tense as she stared down at him. He seemed to be desperately processing everything that just happened, but there was something else in his eyes. Something that reached deep into her consciousness and triggered a sudden hurricane of hatred and guilt to swirl inside her unlike anything ever before.

He wanted this to be real. The attention she was giving him, the way she was touching him. It was all more than obvious. He didn't just want it all to be another trick. Deep down he _felt_ something for her and from the looks of it, he was gambling on the fate of the universe that she did the same.

Almost instinctively, and a little too quickly, she pulled her hand away, causing a glimpse of disappointment to flash across his eyes. She remained still a moment, unsure exactly how she wanted to move forward. All of his advances, the way he'd been caring for her these past few weeks, it all suddenly began to make perfect sense. This whole time her plan HAD been working. He HAD been falling for her, but unfortunately poor idiot had absolutely no idea how to express or communicate it.

She had very little time to think things over, because after staring at each other in uncomfortable silence for nearly a minute, Zim decided to be the first to speak up.

"I uh...I have to go."

Swallowing hard, he squirmed out from under her while doing his best to avoid any additional physical contact. Once free, he scampered out of the repair bay as fast as he could.

Tak remained where she stood as she watched the bay doors close behind him. She'd never felt such a conflicting feeling before in her life. It was like her entire body was confused, like she was wearing some sort of warm, fuzzy, undercoat, but at the same time laced with prickling needles. Zim was her enemy, and the only one responsible for single-handedly destroying Operation Impending Doom I AND her life. No other Irken even came close to his level of self destruction. She could absolutely not afford to get mixed up with him.

Pulling herself together, she snapped her eyes shut and focused on her master plan. When she opened them again, she scouted the area for the docking bay where Zim routinely brought his robot parents down for maintenance. With luck, she spotted large cylindrical pods tucked away in a corner section on the other side of the room.

She hurried over to them and was pleased to discover the robo-parents were already there, deactivated and recharging. She cast her eyes up to the large metal cables feeding into the top of each one. _Good. I'll just need to find a way to disable them if I am to have enough time to plant the bomb._

Noticing a nearby computer monitor, she hurried over and began typing commands into the digital keyboard. The screen contained a display showing all of the diagnostic information on the roboparents including their programming builds. After bypassing the security measures, she began entering new lines of code into the robots' data module. _Alright Zim. It's time we end this little game once and for all_. She stretched her arms out, cracking a few knuckles in the process. Then, after bringing the base's security capabilities offline, she got to work.

* * *

 **Meanwhile**

"Sooo...how's the situation with Tak going?" Dib questioned while holding a flashlight steadily in front of him. "Did you find a way to tell her yet?"

He and Zim were back in Membrane's lab working on a new groundbreaking computing system for an unmanned space craft. It had been the professor's project originally, but with how busy the world-renowned scientist had gotten with his recent work, it had fallen through the cracks and into development limbo. Dib hadn't really minded since it was the appropriate starting level to help out around the labs and with Zim's help, he knew they would be able to get the work done twice as fast.

Zim frowned and continued focusing on his work. "I can't be around her right now," he replied, not breaking his concentration. "She does something to me. Something...tingly." Wanting to avoid the topic altogether, he finished up the remaining components and stood up dusting off his uniform. "There. Done. Now this pathetic piece of machinery should be able to do at least half of light speed before falling apart."

Dib gave him a contemptuous look. "So, I take it you _haven't_ told her yet?"

The Irken scoffed and turned his head away without responding. Dib rolled his eyes and shined the light on him. "Look I know it's not what you want to hear space boy, but this isn't something that you're just going to be able to ignore. You're going to have to come to terms with it sooner or later, and the best way to do that is to show her how you feel. By the way, you haven't told her about my ship yet have you?"

Zim snapped back to give the boy a scornful look. The light illuminated his face just enough to contrast against the darkness surrounding them. "Don't be stupid Earth stink! I have no interest in repossessing Tak's ship, no matter how powerful it may be." He paused. "Although, now that I think about it, I don't see why I _shouldn't_ take it from you. It would make a nice surprise gift for Tak. And it's not like I need your gigantic head chasing me down every time I leave the atmosphere."

"Hey! If you didn't find ways to try and destroy Earth, then I wouldn't have to chase you down!" Dib returned, choosing to ignore the derogatory comment about his head.

Zim shrugged. "Fear not pig beast. Doing so would give her a dangerous advantage over me, and it's not like I could stow her ship near mine anyway. Tak won't let me us much as touch the Voot without watching my every move."

Dib raised an eyebrow. "So...she's keeping you grounded? Then how are you getting the resources to maintain your base?" He paused and thought the scenario over. "Wait a minute. Is that the reason you've been helping me lately? To help you get the supplies you need to take over the world?"

Zim waved a hand in front of him dismissively. "Pft, don't be silly. I came here to assist you pathetic creatures on your quest to harvest your nearby planets. Yes, it would greatly benefit me as well, but that's besides the point."

Dib's demeanor quickly changed from friendly to hostile. "I knew it!" he explained, pointing a finger toward Zim who gave him a confused stare. "I knew I couldn't trust you! You were just using me to gain access to my father's lab. Tak cut you off from your base so now you need my help to defeat her!" He smacked his hand against his forehead. "Geez, how could I be so stupid."

Feeling insulted, Zim tossed the primitive tools aside and turned to yell at the boy's face "Insolent fool boy! I may have some self interest in your technology, but that doesn't mean I won't hold up my end of the deal. I agreed to help you as long as you resisted your VILE urge to turn me over to the Earth authorities and that's exactly what I have done! I have said nothing to nullify the contract and do not approve of these outlandish accusations!"

"Oh yeah!? Well how do I know you won't just go off and take our technology for your own? Huh? Huh?"

"DO YOU HAVE BEAVERS IN YOUR EAR HOLES HUMAN? THIS INFERIOR GARBAGE ISN'T WORTH THE DIRT IT'S BUILT ON!

Dib was about to fire off another comeback, but the commotion was loud enough to attract the attention of a nearby scientist.

"Hey, so how you boys doin'?" he interrupted, clearly trying to get the two of them to calm down. He'd seen enough school tour groups to know how arguments tended to break out among students. "How is that circuit board coming along? I heard it's a real doozy."

Zim grumbled and folded his arms, turning away from the tall, lengthy human. "This inferior equipment will never be able to handle long distances required for space travel," he complained. "The material is all wrong and the inside is too squiggly. There are far too many wires crisscrossing every which way and even the most complex components are next to basic compared to what would be required for interstellar travel. It would be better suited for scrap metal."

Before the scientist could respond, Dib chimed in as well. "I hate to say it, but he's right. You're missing a core component, a quantum energy power core. You're going to need one if you want to travel long distances."

Zim shot the boy a surprised look. He was legitimately impressed that the human had picked up on the key components of interstellar travel so quickly. Sure, tinkering with Tak's ship would have given him SOME insight, but it shouldn't have been enough to bring the young worm baby fully up to speed. Perhaps he had underestimated his arch nemesis. Or perhaps the boy had been paying much more attention than he had given him credit for.

Zim thought on the matter for a moment. It suddenly occurred to him that if the human learned so much from so little, what _else_ was he capable of? Had he made a mistake by allowing him to help repair the base? Had he sealed his fate the day he allowed him to set foot inside the perimeter?

He had to admit, part of him found it intriguing that a human was so fascinated by the tech he took for granted every day. By his people's standards, the machine they were working on was nothing more than an ordinary rocket engine designed to thrust an inferior Earth vessel into space. It was a pathetic attempt really. Such a feeble craft would never survive the long ventures of space, let alone make it out of their own solar system. But he still needed a way to harvest raw materials off world, and with Tak lurking around his base, it wasn't like she was going to let him leave the planet anytime soon.

The scientist tapped his cheek roughly with his index figure. "Hmm. You boys may be right. I think we have something similar in the research department, but it's still heavily in development and highly unstable."

Dib's ears perked up. "Do you think we could have a look at it?"

The scientist looked at them a little uneasy and glanced over at his partner, as if contemplating whether or not letting a mere twelve-year-old child handle one of their most complex inventions was such a good idea. "Hmmm. I suppose we could allow you to SEE the generator, but please try not to touch anything. We've been working on it for ten years now and would hate to have to start over from scratch."

* * *

They were led to a different room where another group of tall researchers were all standing behind a large, thick plane of safety glass. On the other side was a massive machine that contained a giant tube engine with a hollowed out, empty space in the center. The machine was being fired up and let out a loud reverberating sound that shook the entire room around it. The scientist handed each of them a pair of protective noise-cancelers before entering the testing area. They took them and put them on without question. When the test was over, they removed the headgear while the engine whined loudly as it shut down.

"Well this is it," said the scientist introducing them to the generator. "As you can see it is still heavily in development and will be quite some time before we can make it small enough to fit inside of a standard rocket engine. We have used some of the components from PEG that the professor designed, but that generator wasn't meant to be used in the vacuum of space."

Zim shook his head and chuckled. "Poor incompetent fools." He folded his arms across his chest arrogantly. "All you need is something to counteract the gravitational pull of the objects around it. EVERYONE knows that."

The scientist crossed his arms and huffed in disbelief. "Yeah? And where do you expect us to get something like that kid? It's not like you can just pull those things out of thin air."

As if in cue, Zim reached into his PAK and yanked out a piece of equipment the size of cell phone. It was shaped like a glass box with a mass of colorful, glowing energy rotating around inside. "Ah ha! Feast your eyes on this filthy coat beast! An advanced nullifying unit. Only a true genius could appreciate such a marvel of modern engineering! DOES IT NOT AMAZE YOU!?"

Dib rolled his eyes. "Oh please. You probably don't even know how that thing works."

Zim scoffed. "I'll have you know I am well versed in the level of technology that my spe-...I mean _I_ possess. This _thing_ , that you so poorly described, will be able to process one-thousand times the amount of energy needed to pilot your pitiful Earth craft through space while countering any outside effects that could alter its trajectory. Of course you will still need directional drives and basic galactic map programming if you plan on getting anywhere. Oh, and then there's orbital patterns and...hey!"

Before he could say anything further, the scientist snatched the box from him in fascination. "Wow! This is spectacular!" he exclaimed, holding it up in front of him. "A perfectly contained, self-regenerating collection of energy. How did you come up with this?"

Not really knowing how to answer, Zim just shrugged and made a strange, unsure noise.

The scientist studied the device as if he had just laid eyes on the world's most priceless treasure. "Oh man! This could really change the world kid! It's brilliant! Where did you say you were from again?"

"Um, I'm from uh..." Zim tapped a claw against his neck nervously. It suddenly occurred to him that he had never actually come up with a solid background story to explain his human origin. With how easily it was to distract these mindless stink creatures, he hadn't ever thought he'd need one.

Thinking quickly, he tapped into his limited knowledge of Earth he had gathered while at skool. He recalled an obscure fact he'd learned while studying geography. "I'm a uh...FOREIGN EXCHANGE STUDENT from ...GREENLAND! Yes! And the lack of sunlight there has turned my skin green."

Dib groaned at slapped his hand against his face at the pitiful attempt, but like most of his kind, the scientist seemed perfectly satisfied with the explanation. "Ah I see. That's plausible I suppose."

"What? HOW is that plausible!?" Dib exclaimed, holding his hands out in disbelief.

Ignoring him, the scientist continued. "Hmm, but it still doesn't explain how you designed such a unique, peculiar device. It looks very...alien. I've never seen anything like it."

Realizing they might have given too much away, Dib quickly shoved Zim aside. "Well, that was actually originally MY invention," he interrupted, giving a nervous grin. "Zim's kinda my sidekick who helps me out sometimes. I came up with the idea while messing around in my dad's basement, but Zim's the one who helped me build it."

He could almost feel the Irken spontaneously combust beside him. _Out of all the insulting, unbelievable, MENACING-_

"Oh I see, that makes sense," said the scientist, relaxing his posture. "I should have known the son of Professor Membrane would be responsible for such a revolutionary invention. Nice work kid! I'm going to go take this down to the head analysts to have a closer look at it. But it'll take some time before we can study it, so you two are free to go for the day if you wish."

The scientist walked away and just as Zim was about to unleash a world of fury toward the boy, Dib quickly yanked him off to the side. "Are you nuts?" he whispered explicitly. "If they find out you were the one who constructed that device, they will know something's up! Are you trying to get yourself caught?"

"Do not question my methods Earth stink!" Zim shouted in return. "Zim shall receive credit for all of ZIM'S hard work! Not some sniveling little Earth monkey!"

"Hey! This little Earth monkey just saved your galactic butt!" he shouted back, shoving Zim in his chest.

The Irken scoffed. "Don't be silly. I had the situation completely under control."

"You just handed that guy the key to interstellar travel! HOW is that under control!?"

Zim shrugged. "Not to worry Dib-stink. It'll take your kind YEARS to figure it out with your puny little monkey brains. And besides," he shoved the boy's grubby hands off of him. "The more important issue here is how you stole ZIM's credit you SNIVELING LITTLE FILTH WEASEL! I should remove your nose and replace it with a Gorsmitz container full of dookie for such a vial offense!"

"Hey, I'm trying to help you here! If they find out an alien built that device, they'll have you imprisoned within a week! Or are you stupid enough to forget you were in the middle of a state-of-the-art lab?"

Zim gave him a funny look. "Funny to hear that coming from you human. Aren't you TRYING to get ZIM locked up?"

"Well, I uh..." Dib turned his head away, slightly embarrassed. "Well no, not right now anyway."

"And why not?" Zim questioned stiffly. "I must say your behavior of late has been rather strange AND somewhat disturbing. This ends now pitiful dirt child! I demand to know why you have been so eager to assist Zim with things that are of no concern to you OR your pathetic species!"

Dib bit the inside of his cheek and glanced off to the side. He struggled to come up with a good enough excuse. Zim took a few demanding steps closer. "Tell me now human! Or your days of helping Zim will quickly come to an end!"

Deciding it was easiest just to come clean, Dib held his hands up defensively. "Okay, okay. It's just that...well," He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I guess I got used to experimenting with your technology. I mean, it's pretty amazing really. The level of tech your species possess, it's incredible! I was hoping to reverse engineer some of it and make it compatible with some of our stuff to further advance the human race."

Zim's face twisted into an angry frown as he pointed an accusing claw at the boy. "You DARE steal Zim's precious technology for your own personal gain!? I should annihilate you here and now you despicable Earth creature! No one takes Zim's inventions! NO ONE!"

"I wasn't stealing. I was just-"

"LIES!"

"Ok so maybe it was stealing. But if you would just listen-"

"NEVER!"

Dib grunted and looked back at his rival who was shaking with anger. "Well look who's talking Zim. You were going to do the same thing with my dad's stuff! Look I didn't mean for it to go this far. I just got carried away is all."

The Irken ignored him and turned his back to him. Dib frowned at the gesture. "Fine then. Go ahead and keep all your fancy tech." He crossed his arms and turned his back as well. "Sure must be nice to see the stars whenever you feel like it. Or land on any planet you please. The whole universe is just one big toilet bowl to you isn't it?"

Zim gave him a confused look and cocked his head a bit, a little surprised at that response. So what if he could hop into a ship and zip across the galaxy? Long distance space travel wasn't that big of a deal was it? Plenty of other races had figured it out. It was even one of the main qualifiers for some civilizations to be given the option to form a treaty with the Empire rather than destruction. And the boy had Tak's ship. So what was he getting so worked up about?

"Stupid human. You can see the stars from your planet just fine."

Dib refused to turn around. "You know what I mean."

Zim was about to respond with another comeback, but then it suddenly occurred to him that he too had recently lost that privilege. With Tak guarding his ship and watching his every move, he was just as stranded as the human was. He was stuck on this planet, and without the boy's help, there was a chance he may never leave it again.

"Hmm. I see," he responded, thinking the situation over carefully. "Perhaps my reaction...MAY have been more exaggerated than necessary."

The Irken's surprising change in tone was enough to recapture the boy's attention. "Yeah? And what gave you the first clue?"

Ignoring the comment, Zim brought a hand to his chin and paced the floor anxiously. "I think we can come to an understanding Dib-stink. Regarding what you said earlier...does this mean you no longer plan on turning me over to the Earth authorities?"

Dib eyes fell to an unamused gaze. "Well let's not get carried away. If you still try and take over Earth, I'm still going to stop you."

"Pfft. As if you could ever stop me," said Zim smugly.

Dib sighed and crossed his arms impatiently. "Get to the point space boy."

Zim paused a moment before continuing. "If I help you dirty apes perfect this...PATHETIC level of technology, then perhaps in return, you can continue to supply me with the materials I need to maintain by base. I am going to need them if I am to deal with Tak."

Dib thought the scenario over carefully. "What about trying to take over the Earth?" he questioned.

"I have far bigger problems to deal with right now."

Dib relaxed his posture and let his arms fall back to his sides. "Well, alright. As long as it's to take care of her and not us. Speaking of which, you never did answer my question earlier."

"What question?"

"Tak? Have talked to her yet?"

"And what business is it of yours Earth stink?"

Dib smirked. "Oh nothing. I was just wondering why she still hasn't managed to kill you yet. Maybe it's because she's your GIRLfriend and all."

Zim folded his arms with a huff while Dib snickered. He knew the boy was just trying to get under his skin, but he wouldn't guarantee him the satisfaction. Irritated, he scornfully turned away and continued working.

* * *

Many hours later, and exhausted from the day's events, Zim finally made his way back to the base. Night had fallen on the quiet suburban neighborhood and the cold, dimly lit sidewalks were completely deserted other than the occasional, melted slush pile scattered here and there. The Irken walked at a brisk pace, grateful for the lack of human presence. He was far too emotionally drained to deal with any of his annoying neighbor beasts right now and the incident with Tak earlier still played in his mind. It repeated itself over and over, like some horrible broken record. He knew it was all a trick, that she was only pretending to be interested in him to get what she wanted. But at the same time, he simply didn't care. He wanted to be closer to her. He wanted her to like him. And in the back of his mind he retained some irrational sliver of hope that maybe, just maybe, if he tried hard enough, she would eventually come around.

After passing the line of gnomes in his front yard, he reached the front door and firmly took hold of the icy doorknob. _Perhaps I could try doing something nice for her like the Dib-worm suggested. Maybe get her a gift of some sort._ He paused before turning the brass knob. _But what?_

It posed a good question. What exactly did you get for someone who hated you for destroying their life? He thought back to his conversation with Dib and remembered the boy telling him a gift had to be something significant. It had to convey some sort of underlying message, something meaningful. The medicine had been a pitiful attempt, and sharing snacks with her had been mediocre at best. He supposed he could return Mimi. After all, Tak was just as attached to her SIR unit as he was to his, and she would certainly be overjoyed to see it. But it was out of the question. Mimi was the only leverage he had right now and if he released it, he was as good as dead.

He sighed heavily. There was no easy answer, and he certainly wasn't going to find one standing outside on his front porch. Making up his mind, he twisted open the chilly doorknob and stepped inside the warm confines of his base. After shaking off the thin layer of frost, he expected the robo-parents to greet him in their usual manner, but instead what he witnessed was a scene of complete and utter chaos.

The mom bot, who was dusting off everything in sight with a 3-wood, was wheeling around frantically, leaving a hefty trail of broken glass and destruction along the way and the dad bot, who could be seen off in the kitchen bent over, was patiently waiting for something to be done cooking in the oven. Gir had no clue what was going on and was obliviously dancing around the living room in his usual insane manner, and Minimoose was there casually floating alongside him.

"Gir!" Zim barked to get the SIR unit's attention.

Gir stopped dancing and turned to face his master with a beaming grin. "Master! You're back!" he said cheerfully throwing his tiny arms in the air before running over to him.

Zim raised an eyebrow at his tiny minion. "Of course I'm back Gir. Now tell me, what is going-eh?"

A loud *ding* was heard from the kitchen and the dad-bot rolled over to him with a fully cooked, golden brown turkey. "Here you are son. A brand new pet to help you grow you big and strong!" He forcefully shoved it into the Irken's arms.

Zim, looking very irritated and confused, ignored the robot and casually cast the turkey aside. "Gir, have you been messing with the robot parents' programming again?" he asked, drying his gloved hands on his uniform.

"Nooooo," said Gir innocently.

"Are you sure? Because they're acting kind of-"

Suddenly, the mom-bot has wheeled up to him and stood over him with her classic creepy smile. "Oh honey. You look exhausted. How about a nice warm bath?"

Without warning, she held out a steaming hot mug of hot chocolate and dumped it out over his head. Zim screeched in pain as the boiling hot liquid scorched his skin and ran down into his uniform. He flailed about the room as if trying to put out the imaginary fire, knocking over multiple objects in the process. Gir, thinking it was all a game, clapped happily and skipped behind his master every step of the way.

Still sizzling, but having the burning sensation ware off enough to concentrate, Zim shouted to the ceiling in agony. "Computer! Send the robot parents down to the repair bay for diagnostics!"

"Right away sir," the deep robotic voice responded. Within seconds, two large robotic arms descended from the ceiling and hovered near each of the parent robots. With a flash of blue light, a shock wave disabled both of them and they fell to the floor with a few twitching sparks. A hole in floor enclosed around them as they were absorbed into the floor and taken down to the repair bay.

Zim took a moment to recollect himself and then removed his ruined contacts and wig. He tossed them into a nearby incinerator and they disintegrated with a flash of light. "Gir, I need you to stay up here and clean up this mess," he commanded. "I'm going to go down to take care of the robo-parents. I expect this to be done by the time I get back. Understood?"

Gir raised his arm to his head in salute. "Okie dokie!"

* * *

Down in the lab, Tak was hard at work when a massive, rumbling blast suddenly shook the room around her. The floor beneath her trembled violently and nearly knocked her off balance as gravity shifted beneath her. Once it was over, she groaned and picked herself back up slowly. _What could have caused that?_ she wondered. Then her antennae perked up. _The bomb!_ In a rush of excitement she grabbed her PAK and dashed out of the room to access the damage.

The blast had been far more powerful than she'd anticipated. The main hallway of the base was completely ripped to shreds and she could tell by the extensive damage that the repair bay had been utterly destroyed. She felt her pulse quicken in excitement. _There's no way anyone could have survived a blast like that! Not even him!_

She climbed down and ventured into the mess of wires, smoke, and twisted metal. Everything was in disarray and there were piles upon piles of rubble and damaged wires along with a series of jagged openings where the concussive power tore through the surrounding walls. The outer metal shell that had cocooned the main part of the repair bay was torn apart and crumpled near where the blast originated and everything was coated in filthy black soot.

Using a device on her wrist, Tak scanned the area for any signs of life. The readings came back a solid negative. Still not satisfied, she walked around the entire perimeter until she was sure she scanned every last bit.

Still nothing.

Putting the device away, Tak felt the giddiness bubble up inside her. She'd done it! She'd actually done it! Zim was dead, and she could finally get on with the rest of her life! Feeling satisfied, and somewhat relieved to put it all behind her, she headed toward the passageway that led down to the communication room.

Unfortunately, she failed to notice the slight twitch from a gloved hand trapped beneath a pile of rubble.

* * *

 **Author's note:** Hello everyone! I know, I know. It's been a while since I last updated (five months to be exact...yikes!) As some of you already know, I was busy moving this summer and didn't have a whole lot of time to sit down and write, but I'm back now and hopefully this chapter is more than enough to suffice. Also, I nearly had a heart attack while trying to edit this thing on my phone. After I clicked save, something on the app went screwy and it ended up deleting the ENTIRE chapter! Luckily there were previous saves I could pull from, but I will say that was NOT a fun day for me.

Let me know what you guys think of this one! I love hearing about everyone's favorite parts and appreciate all the great feedback! You guys are all so awesome! I may go back and edit in a little more detail here and there if I re-read it and feel somethings missing, but I was pretty happy with how this one turned out. I've been working on the next chapter already so it shouldn't be as long of a wait next time. Hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving! Till next time!


	9. Open Wounds

**Open Wounds**

Zim gasped for breath as his body jolted back to consciousness. Doubling over in pain, he coughed violently, ridding his mouth of any loose particles and debris that made their way inside.

His body twitched as his nervous system sprung back to life. PAK still smouldering, he struggled to sit up, but realized something heavy was blocking his way. He opened one eye weakly, identifying the obstruction as part of the base's integrated wiring system. Bringing his claws up, he pushed hard. The metallic surface gave a slight budge, but then stubbornly settled back into place.

Opening up his PAK, he sought out help from his spider legs. With the additional leverage, the large obstruction easily gave way and rolled off to the side where it collapsed with a thud. Waving away the mushroom cloud of dust in front of him, he sat up coughing and dug himself out from underneath the pile of rubble.

The room around him was pitch black, and from what he could tell, everything, including the docking station, had been completely destroyed. Blinking a few times, he waited patiently for the dust to settle while his eyes adjusted to the surrounding darkness. _Could the entire base have gone offline?_ he wondered, trying to piece together what happened before the blast.

He rubbed the side of his head and turned to see what was left of the two false robo-parents. As expected, their docking station was practically nonexistent and the various parts around it were scattered in pieces. He walked over to where they should have been standing before the explosion _._

"I don't understand," he muttered, looking around at the mess. "The robo-parents' outer cores were designed to withstand a self-destruction sequence, not tear apart. And even if they did detonate spontaneously, there's no way it would have been powerful enough to take out a whole section of the base."

He noticed the remnants of the dad-bot's head lying only a few feet away. It was tilted over on its side and propped up stiffly by the signature pipe. He knelt down, causing his knees to crack a bit in the process, and picked up the severed head. Studying it carefully, he rolled it back and forth in his hands.

A look of confusion crossed his face.

The internal fixings, while smoldering, appeared to have nothing wrong with them, and other than the large hole in the back of the head, none of the components seemed to be missing _._

"There has to be _something_ here," he muttered, flipping it over. He bent down to took a closer look and peered deeper into the metal case. Squinting hard, he managed to spot a tiny black object centered in the very back of the robot's skull.

Using his claws, he plucked the object from the robot and summoned an advanced magnifying device from his PAK to examine it. The details of its design enlarged as he peered through the portal. It was tiny, no bigger than a marble, and had a slight, shiny hint to it. From what he could tell, it was Irken in design, and based off of its encoded technology signature, it carried the internal patterns of an advanced, bioscanning triggering unit.

His eyes narrowed. _Tak._

The thoughts in his own mind raced as his blood started to boil. This hadn't been an accident. Such a device was specifically used to detonate upon facial recognition of a particular target and she had placed that trigger deliberately, in the hopes that it would have blown up with him looking directly into it.

Teeth clenching, he stood up and chucked the device clear across the room, putting as much force into it as he could. He watched as it ricocheted off the distant wall and lightly bounced several times before landing well out of sight. Breathing heavily, he frowned.

He'd been a fool. A complete and utter fool. Tak had never cared about him. She'd only been using with him to get what she wanted all along. The bomb had been a deliberate attempt on his life, and if he hadn't acted as quickly as he did, she would almost certainly have succeeded in her plot for revenge.

 _I will never stop hunting you Zim. If it's the last thing I do, I swear, I WILL kill you._

The words echoed in his mind and he tightened his fists bitterly. He had hoped it wouldn't have to come to this; that by now she would at least had SOME minor change of heart. In his efforts to get closer to her, there had been moments where he thought he'd seen _something_ in her eyes. Some slight hint of interest or at the very least curiosity about his behavior toward her. But he couldn't have been more wrong. She wanted him dead. And the evidence from her last attempt was indisputable proof of that.

Extending his spider legs once again, he made his way over the various piles of debris and anxiously searched for the intermittent crawl space that granted passage between the separate regions of his base. When he found it, he cleared the opening, and like a spider crawling down a pipe, followed the narrow passageway until he reached the outside of the main communications room.

* * *

As he got closer, he felt the gradual hum of the base's power vibrating through the metallic walls. _Well, at least_ _that explains why Gir didn't come running when the TV should have shut off,_ he thought as he ventured through the confined space. Eventually he reached the opening and retracting his mechanical legs, quietly made his way inside.

He slipped into a darkened corner, careful to keep the majority of his body concealed. When he felt he was hidden well enough, he poked his head out to see around the large computer console. Sure enough, Tak was there, and she was standing in the center of the room with her back to him.

He inched forward to get a closer look. Spread out in front of her were multiple devices connected by various haphazard wires on the main control hub. _Hmph_. _Most likely overrides to establish a direct line with the Tallest_ , he thought begrudgingly. Ever since his leaders had revealed the truth to him, he had purposely altered his communication setup so they would not be able to reach him. Not that it mattered now anyway. They never planned on helping him in the first place, and were not likely to ever contact him again.

He continued to watch as she worked promptly, carefully testing which links worked and which didn't. When she eventually got the console up and running, he once again he saw his former leaders appear on the big screen.

"Ah, Tak," greeted Red eagerly. "We were wondering when you'd call. I take it you have some good news for us?"

Tak bowed with a formal salute. "My Tallest, I am happy to report that your troubles with Zim will no longer be a burden to you. As requested, I have successfully eliminated him as well as most of the base he resided in."

As if taking a moment to absorb the information, the two rulers stared together at the screen blankly with a few rapid blinks.

"So like...he's really dead?" questioned Purple, leaning in slightly closer.

Wearing a smirk of confidence, Tak straightened out her posture. "That is correct my Tallest! I was able to rig his pathetic excuse of a parental robot unit with an explosive device and trick him into taking it down for repairs. It could have only detonated with him looking directly into it. So to answer your question my leaders yes, he is dead."

They stared at her a moment before breaking out in joyous celebration. "Wooo yeah! Alright!" they cheered, waving their arms in the air, clapping, and giving one another a high-five. Zim couldn't help but suppress a small ball of resentment as he witnessed their celebration over his demise.

Smirking proudly, Tak waited patiently for them to settle down.

"Ahem. I mean...excellent work soldier!" responded Red. "We knew we could count on you."

Tak bowed again elegantly in return. "Thank you sirs! The pleasure was certainly all mine. As you know, I have been waiting for this day my entire life. Killing Zim was just an added bonus to finally rising to the rank of invader."

There was a brief, uncomfortable pause as both Red and Purple exchanged glances with one another. "Uh, _yeah_...about that.."

Purple shrugged. "We lied!"

Tak's smile instantly faded and she looked upon her leaders in disbelief. "W-what do you mean my Tallest?"

Letting out a weary sigh, Red lightly shoved his co-ruler aside. "Look Tak, we _are_ grateful that you took care of Zim. Really, we are. It's just that...it's not really up to us to decide who gets to become an invader or not."

Tak felt a lump form in her throat. "I...I don't understand," she said, her voice cracking. "You're the Tallest..."

Red shrugged awkwardly. " _Yeah_ , but the control brains mostly get to decide stuff like that." Too distracted with the straw he was using to fish out the remainder of his smoothie cup, he kept his eyes focused away from the screen. "And they could cancel our daily snack rations for an entire month if we promoted someone against their will."

Tak stared at the monitor incredulity. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had done what they asked of her, had fulfilled their request as commanded, and all they were worried about was losing their precious snacks?!

No longer wishing to fiddle with the cup any longer, Red casually tossed the empty cup aside. "Besides," he added, not caring where where it landed, "we received multiple reports from Dirt about how you nearly killed ten of our elite officers in your effort to escape. While we admit that IS rather impressive, having something like that on record would still render a court marital. And trust me, the control brains do NOT like dealing with that sort of thing."

Tak stood paralyzed and felt a chill run down her spine. _Dirt?_

With being so focused on stealing Zim's mission, she'd completely forgotten about her previous assignment. She had wanted so badly to get off of that horrid planet. So very badly to venture out and take what she considered was rightfully hers. She hadn't stopped to consider the possible consequences of abandoning her post. Would they be upset about it? She thought about the countless hours she'd spent secretly repairing discarded tech and using it to build both Mimi and her very own ship. What was the punishment for such a thing anyway? Would they re-encode her as a failure? An outlaw? Or possibly even...a defective?

Before Tak's thought process could devolve any further, something off-screen caught Red's attention. Purple let out a cheer of excitement. "Woo! The couches from Invader Larb are finally here! I call trying out the first one!"

Partially distracted with what was happening, Red turned halfway back to the monitor. "Uh look Tak, we gotta go, but because you _did_ help us out with Zim, we'll just go ahead and report you as missing in action or something. You can return to Judementia if you want, but trust me, we don't recommend it." The sound of cheering and celebration could be heard off in the distance. "Gotta go! Best of luck!"

And with that, the transmission ended.

Tak stared at the freshly blank screen cold and dumbfounded _. A trial? They want me to stand trial?_ She felt the pit in her stomach plummel as the weight of the news began to sink in. _No. It couldn't be true._ _I was only following orders. I was doing as they asked._ _It has to be some sort of mistake!_

She sank to her knees as thoughts of denial swirled about in her head. _They gave me this mission themselves! They entrusted ME with taking down Zim! Me! They said I was going to be an invader!_

Her mind began to devolve into a cascade of thoughts as she desperately tried to understand what went wrong.

 _No. This can't be real. How can they do this to me? How can they just throw me away like this? I did what they asked! I fulfilled my duties as requested! How can they just discard me like I'm nothing?  
_

Oblivious to Tak's deteriorating state of mind, Zim all too eagerly stepped out from behind the nearby computer console.

"Ha! Told ya Tak!" he shouted proudly, causing her head to immediately snap up in his direction. He approached her smugly and stopped only a few feet away. "I knew it all along. The Tallest were never going to make you an invader. They only lied to you to get rid of you, just like they did to me!"

Completely shocked at his appearance, Tak stared up at him in awe. "Zim? You're alive? But h-how...how did you-?"

"Survive?" he answered pompously, his voice carrying a slight hint of animosity over her murder attempt. "I'm glad you asked!" With an imperious grin, he clicked a device on his wrist and immediately surrounding him was a spherical, pink shield. It was somewhat transparent in design and flickered with signs of obvious damage.

"Neat huh?" He shot her a cocky grin. "I developed and installed this protective force field as a safety measure after some of my lesser experiments kept blowing up in my face. Most of them were all Gir's fault, but that's besides the point."

He clicked away the force field, leaving Tak gaping at him dumbstruck. "Guess this means I win again Tak," he gloated, resting his hands on his hips and tilting his chin in the air. "It's kinda sad really. As if a lowly janitorial drone like yourself could ever defeat a former invader like me. Ha! Pathetic."

Feeling the slight sting from his words and the reality start to sink in, Tak's posture sank in defeat. _It's true,_ she thought, her chest tightening at the mention of her defeat. _He won again. I tried to kill him...and he beat me again._

"AND since the Tallest abandoned you here as well, you might as well go on to accept your fate by becoming my personal servant drone," Zim continued, crossing his arms to relish in his moment of victory. "That IS the way of the Irken code after all. So go ahead. Surrender now, to me! ZIM!"

He awaited her response, fully expecting her to snap back at him with a hate-fueled speech about how he deserved to die or lash out at him from behind with a physical attack. But to his surprise, she went completely silent.

Confused, and a little thrown off by her behavior, he opened one eye to glance over at her. It was not like Tak to give up so easily. Surely she was planning to come up with a trick up her sleeve or some sort of plan to attack him like she always did. But to his grave disappointment, she did nothing of the sort.

Feeling his ego deflate a little, Zim purposely shoved down the small ball of sentiment that threatened to surface inside him. She was no longer looking up at him, but was bent over, and shaking slightly with her face buried in her hands. He frowned.

"You must take me for a fool if you think I'm going to fall for that again," he stated flatly, trying a little harder than normal to sound stern. He crossed his arms and waited for her to respond.

She still said nothing, and he took a few steps forward, preparing to issue another insult. But the sound of a single, subtle sob instantly froze him in his tracks.

"Why?" she whispered, tilting her head to look up at him. "Why did you have to take everything away from me?"

Feeling something squeeze the inside of his squeedlyspooch, he stared down at her lamentably. Her eyes, which were once full of confidence and disdain, were now irritated and puffy. They bore into him like daggers, begging for any rhyme or reason behind all the sadness and humiliation she'd had to endure over the years. And her tears, which she had fought so very hard to hold back, were now flowing freely, leaving wet, glistening trails as they lightly traveled down the mild crevasses of her cheeks.

She looked absolutely miserable.

He swallowed hard and felt a cold, slimy sensation creep down the center of his spine. Irkens never cried. Or at least not in front of one another. It was a horrible, shameful display of emotion, one that would almost certainly guarantee a lifetime of humiliation if caught doing so in public and was only permitted during truly devastating occasions. Only a careless fool would allow their enemy to observe such a thing.

And yet, here she was, doing so right in front of him.

He opened his mouth to correct her, but closed it again. He knew he should berate her; call her pathetic and weak for allowing such a weakness to overtake her, but for some reason, he just couldn't bring himself to do so. It seemed wrong castigating her when she was already defeated, even if he had done it to a hundred enemies before. With her, it just didn't seem right.

He stayed where he was, her pain stricken glare boring in to him as he stared back with an equally confused gape. He could tell it was all a bluff, that she was just trying to hold it together while he remained standing in her presence. Her armor had already started to crack, and very soon it would undoubtedly shatter as her world unraveled at the seems.

Unable to face Zim any longer, Tak turned her head away shamefully. Her emotions were starting to get the best of her, and the last thing she wanted was to surrender her last shred of dignity in front of him. She covered her mouth in an effort to subdue her sobbing, but it was pointless. He was standing less than a yard away, and any attempt to hide her disgraceful display could surely be seen, or at the very least heard.

She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping that if she did, he would in some way disappear and leave her to suffer in peace. Feeling the pain welling up inside, she gripped the fabric of her uniform and twisted her claws so that they sunk deep into her chest. _It isn't fair_ , she thought desolatel _y,_ tears now streaming down her cheeks. _I wanted it more than anyone, worked harder than anyone. And now I...I-_ She gritted her teeth in anguish. _How could he take so much away from me?  
_

Zim felt his insides turn in on themselves as watched the poor Irken girl, who's life he completely destroyed, emotionally break down in front of him. He felt terrible, like something was gnawing on the inside his chest and desperately clawing its way to get out. He wished more than anything he could take it all back, that he could do something, _anything_ , to make up for all of the damage he caused in the past. He hadn't meant to destroy her life. He truly and honestly hadn't. She just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and he had been the primary cause of it.

 _As if a lowly janitorial drone like yourself could ever defeat a former invader. Ha! Pathetic!_

The phrase sickened him as he repeated it over and over in his head. It was such a degrading title. She didn't deserve to suffer such humiliation. She was the most talented Irken he'd ever met and far more brilliant than to be labelled some insignificant janitorial drone. She was strong, ambitious, courageous and...beautiful. Her ability to conquer worlds was unmatched and her planning skills more than remarkable.

He reached out and carefully placed a hand on her shoulder, hoping that in some way it would help her to at least stop crying. She flinched, but to his great relief, didn't shake him off. Eventually she managed to regain control and her dismal sobs gradually quieted into hush sniffles.

Using the back of her glove, she wiped away the last few remaining tears and after taking in a few deep, choppy breaths, closed her eyes and let out a big, heavy exhale.

"You're right Zim," she responded, her voice only a little louder than a whisper. His antennae perked up and he turned to face her. "Maybe I was never meant to be more than a janitorial drone. The fact that you've bested me twice now proves that."

Zim's posture fell. He wanted to tell her it wasn't true. He wanted to tell her what he really thought. But he stayed quiet. She continued.

"You have earned the right to kill me, and if you wish to do so, I won't resist. But if you could find it in yourself to grant me...one final request..."

His antennae perked up as she paused. He held his breath, anxiously waiting to hear the rest.

Tak bit her lower lip. "I would greatly appreciate it if you could grant me a painless death...if at all possible." Her voice cracking a bit as she struggled to force the words out. "I know it's not honorable, but at least this way, I can enjoy one moment of peace before my repugnant life has officially ended."

Zim could only stare back at her achingly as she confessed her final plea. He didn't _want_ to kill her. Not now. Not after spending so much time with her. Weeks ago, that may not have been the case, and he had been fully prepared to end her life at the drop of a hat. But now, things were different. He had grown attached to her, and the idea of officially ending her life now only filled him with affliction and misery.

Without thinking, he swiftly brought a hand under her chin, forcing her startled gaze to meet his own. She locked eyes with him, but only for a moment before quickly darting them away. He frowned at the gesture.

This wasn't the Tak he knew. The Tak he knew was strong, smart, and determined. Unlike him, she deserved to be an invader. Unlike him, she deserved to have her name glorified and echoed throughout the Empire. But now that opportunity was gone, probably forever. And it was all because of him.

"Tak I...those things that I said earlier...about you being a service drone," he paused, desperate trying to come up with _some_ sort of an apology. "I...I didn't mean-"

With a weary sigh, she merely shoved his hand aside and turned her head away. "It doesn't matter now Zim," she muttered, closing her eyes and letting a few more tears fall to the cold, metallic floor. "I've already lost everything. Just go ahead and get it over with."

Feeling his insides ache with pity, he stared back at her helplessly. _If only she knew how wrong she was,_ he thought, wishing he could show her what he knew she was capable of. _If only she could see how skilled she could be, how much potential she still has for the Empire._

Ignoring her request, he brought his gloved hand up again and this time, gently placed it against the side of her cheek. Astonished at the unexpected gesture, she snapped her head up immediately and stared back at him in awe, completely oblivious of the slight blush that had formed along her cheeks.

Zim looked down at her, a small smile forming on his face. He wasn't even sure why he'd done it. Up until now, he'd been acting on pure instinct and touching her was something he had been wanting to do for so long. It felt great, like a warm fuzzy feeling bubbling up in his gut. But it confused him.

These emotions, these _feelings_ as the humans called it, were all new and deeply confusing. There had been no training in his past, no preparation about how to deal with them. Everything he was experiencing he was experiencing for the first time, and they made his pulse race rapidly, like a steady beating drum against his vulnerable, delicate veins. He needed to say something, DO something to break up the tension.

Using his thumb, he slid it across the underside of her eye, wiping away the last few remaining droplets. "You shouldn't shed tears," he said bluntly, clearing the raspiness in his throat. "They erm...don't suit you."

Tak could only stare back at him wide-eyed as she sat on her knees, completely still. _What on Irk is going on_ _!?_ she thought, staring at him awestruck. _One minute he's insulting me and then next he's issuing compliments? Did I hit my head on something?_

She brought her own shaky hand up to meet his and lightly brushed her claws over the area where his thumb had touched her face. The feeling sent butterflies through her stomach. _No. This is all real._ _And what about me? Why is my body reacting like this?_

She looked up at him, his sympathetic expression reflecting in her eyes. She felt the panic rise.

 _Oh no. Could it mean that I-?...that he-...?_

She shook her head. _No. There's no way. Not him. Not after everything he's done._ _It's not possible!_

Her mind wrestled with the idea, and without her realizing it, the gap between them slowly began to close.

 _No. I can't get mixed up in something like this. Not with him! It would just be insane!_

She couldn't tell if it was her body moving or his, but the space between them was gradually getting smaller and smaller.

 _I would be a complete fool. It would be a mockery of injustice. It would just be-_

She never got to finish her thought. Because in that moment, she felt her lips finally make contact with his own.

* * *

 **Moments later**

Eyes wide and completely caught off-guard, it took Tak a good four to five seconds before she realized what was happening. When she could finally think again, her first instinct was to pull away, to kick and scream and punch him for even daring to lay a finger on her. But she couldn't move. She was paralyzed and completely immobilized as she felt his lips glide against her own.

The pleasurable sensation caused a shiver to run down her spine, and she felt her fortified defenses begin to crumble. The blush on her face intensified, and she found herself gripping the cuff of his uniform to pull him in closer. _I must be completely out of my mind_ , she thought as she began returning the kiss. Her eyelids drifted closed and a swirl of emotions began coursing through her body. She wasn't sure what had compelled her to do it, but she soon found herself completely immersed and deepening their contact. She began to question where he even learned to do such a thing. It was so unlike him and so out of character. But she supposed it didn't matter much. She was in utter bliss, and the last thing she wanted was to question it or for it to stop.

Instinct overriding her senses, she decided to part her mouth a little, inviting his tongue to slip in and make contact with her own. He did so willingly, and she kissed him back hungrily in response.

Zim felt his muscles grow weak and his heart pound wildly in his chest. Never in a million years would he have imagined a female could have had such a profound affect on him. It was like his blood was on fire, like some inner drive was telling him to satisfy some strange growing appetite. He closed his eyes and slid his hand around to the back of her neck to pull her in closer. She responded by moving her body up against his, and his blood began to heat up even more. Her movements started to become more assertive, and his desires only seemed to increase the more she responded to his actions.

He paused a moment to take in her scent and felt a wave of pleasure passed through him. "There must be more you can show me," he groaned, careful to keep his voice low and near the base of her neck.

Too lost in euphoric bliss to actually process what he said, Tak felt a shiver run down her spine as his warm breath lightly made contact against her skin. His voice was husky, and a slight tingling passed through her body as he spoke. She pressed harder against him and in return, and he subconsciously ran his hand delicately across one of her antennae.

She let out a low, gradual moan and feeling his body suddenly stiffen, she finally registered what he was asking of her.

Her eyes flew open immediately. She stared back at him agape, knowing EXACTLY what was going through his mind. She pushed away from him and quickly turned away in embarrassment, a powerful blush forming on her face.

 _What am I thinking?_ she thought, silently cursing herself for allowing it to go this far. _I can't let this happen. Not with him._ _I need to put an end to this before it's too late._

Heat steadily rising in her cheeks, she scrambled to break free and scooted back a few inches. He gave a look of confusion but she refused to acknowledge it. Too afraid that if she did, she would lose the battle with herself and want to continue right where she left off. _No. I should return to Judgementia like the Tallest requested. I should go ahead and go through with the trial. Maybe I can still get out of here before things get out of hand. Maybe I can-_

"Please don't go Tak."

Her head popped up and she could see his sorrowful expression staring right back in her face. His tone, his expression, his body language; it all couldn't have been more apparent. He had seen what was going through her mind and wanted nothing more than for her to stay with him here, on Earth.

She wondered for a moment if it was purely physical, that maybe her charm over him had awoken some deeply buried instinct that had overrode his better judgement. His skin was flushed green enough, and there seemed to be a lingering yearning about him. But something in the back of her mind assured her otherwise. His actions were far too real, far too genuine. And even his request for her to stay seemed to pierce the very depths of her soul.

She glanced up at him, a funny feeling rising in her chest. She didn't want to admit it, but she had grown quite attached to him the last few weeks. And despite his egotistical attitude, he wasn't ALL bad. He showed great effort when caring for Gir, and even went out of his way to make sure the little robot didn't bother her when she was trying to recover. He shared his labs and his communal space in his base, and whenever she asked for something she needed, he was always more than eager to retrieve it.

 _Do I really want to go through with this?_ she wondered, knowing what she risked getting into. Pairing with him would almost certainly guarantee a lifetime of degradation and ridicule, without any promise of redemption. If the word got out, she would probably never be able to live it down. And any hope of ever reintegrating into the Empire would be forever lost.

But on the other hand...she was already an outcast too wasn't she? What did it matter if she chose to spend one night with someone like him? It wasn't like anyone would know. And besides, the Tallest assumed he was dead didn't they? As far as they knew, she was alone on this distant planet and too far removed for anyone to care.

She tilted her gaze up at him and took in the uncertainty on his face. Making up her mind, she gave him a slight nod and felt a warm feeling wash over her as his mouth curved into a very happy and relieved smile.

 _Oh, who am I kidding?_ she thought as she closed her eyes and leaned in for another kiss. She grabbed his uniform again and not sparing a moment, began to gradually drag him to the ground with her. He seemed surprised at first, but went willingly, and soon she found herself lying face to face with the one Irken she thought she hated most in the whole universe.

 _P_ _erhaps I could stay for just a bit longer,_ she thought, feeling herself becoming lost in his sensations. _Yes. Perhaps just a little while longer..._

* * *

 **Author's note:** Ah, and there it is! Tak has finally accepted them and they are finally together. Hopefully this chapter didn't come across as too angsty. I really wanted Tak to have the time to work through her emotions before giving into her feelings for Zim. But at the same time, I wanted to show how Zim's emotions have changed him and how he's become at least a little more compassionate than he used to be. I still have a lot of story planned ahead, so don't expect this to be the end. There's still so much more in store for these two! Happy reading!


	10. Forgiveness

**Forgiveness**

Zim watched scornfully as Gir mindlessly danced about in the orbit of space. They were on the outskirts of Saturn, hoping to collect some dust particles and other minerals from the planet's orbiting rings. But instead of helping out, the little robot was more interested in getting his tongue stuck to ice block after ice block, causing his master to get increasingly fed up with his behavior.

"Gir, enough!" Zim shouted, retracting his vacuum back to his suit and using the large ice block as a counterweight to slow his momentum. "We need to finish harvesting these materials and get back to Earth as soon as possible! I promised Tak I would only be gone a short while and-"

Ignoring his master's request, the SIR unit responded with a childish, raspberry noise. Vibrating his numb tongue against the cold ice, he giggled hysterically, and began chomping on it repeatedly.

Zim shot him an unamused glare. "No. No time for play Gir!" He grabbed hold and forcefully yanked him free and then set him down in front of him. "Listen to me, and listen carefully. This is important work we do. I need to bring these materials back to the base to get Mimi back online, and all I need from you is to collect the dust particles and transfer them to the container on the Voot. Do you understand?"

Gir simply stared at him blankly, letting his tongue dangle out. Frustrated, Zim slapped a palm to his face. "You'll get to play with Mimi when we get back," he taunted, hoping to spark the SIR unit's attention.

Gir immediately lit up with excitement and ignited his boosters. "Weeeeeoooooo!" he shouted as he rocketed away to collect the particles at lightening speed.

* * *

Returning back to the base, Zim landed the Voot in the attic and made his way down to the lab. When he entered, he was pleased to find Tak still where he left her. She was busy working on some small chip-like device and didn't seem notice them as they walked in.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Zim inched up behind her. "So, whatcha doin?" he asked casually, causing her to nearly jump out of her skin.

She wheeled around and upon recognizing his smug grin, shot him a dirty look. "Must you always sneak up behind me whenever I am doing something?" she asked, her voice still a bit shaky from the sudden surprise.

He grinned and cast her a taunting gesture. "That depends. Are you planning on coming up with something that will try and kill me again?"

Catching on to his playful attitude, she hummed reassuringly. "Actually, I am constructing a new piece of tech for Mimi. It should help calibrate her settings to be more accommodating once she is reactivated." She turned around and continued her work. "Speaking of which, you WERE planning on releasing her sometime soon, weren't you?"

Not wanting to spoil the surprise, Zim backed away from the workstation "Yes, well uh...there's still a few things that need to be done first. So I'm just going to be over here on the other side of the lab...doing...nothing. Yup. Nothing at all."

With his hands pressed behind his back and with an oddly suspicious posture, he whistled casually and dashed away to the other side of the lab.

Tak smirked as she watched him go. She was no longer worried about him formulating some secret plan or a way to get back at her for injuring him. In fact, she was well aware he was probably sneaking off to work on a gift to present to her later. The thought brought a smile to her face. She had to admit, his zealous confidence and tendency to boost his ego over even the most trivial of things was somewhat adorable, as idiotic as it may be. And the fact that he had become so infatuated with her did make her feel somewhat special.

She went back to her work while daydreaming what it felt like to be so close to him. _Hmm. Maybe he isn't such an idiotic moron after all_ , she thought warmly.

Suddenly, she heard the sound of something crashing to the ground followed shortly by a loud "GIR!". She shook her head.

 _Then again, maybe not._

* * *

Zim marched confidently over to the containment area where Mimi was being held and stepped up to the station's command console. He began plugging in commands to the system and the computer immediately buzzed to life.

 **REACTIVATION SEQUENCE INITIATED  
**

Zim watched as the machines began following his commands. Within seconds, several robotic arms flew down and attached themselves to the top of the canister. A synchronization of fresh particles flowed down through the tubes and into the top of the containment chamber. It looked similar to an upside-down garbage bin, except fancier, and had a tiny window slit on the front that emitted a bright, lime-yellow glow as the goo like solution was pumped inside.

Once the initial stage was complete, Zim pushed in a few more buttons and the containment unit began to vibrate. It hummed loudly as the final preparations neared completion.

"Behold, Gir!" he announced to his minion who was standing less than a few feet away. The clueless SIR unit dropped his ice cream cone and tilted its head up at his master.

"In a few minutes time I will have finally succeeded at creating a gift worthy of Tak's possession! Soon her SIR unit will be as indestructible as you are, and will be immune to ALL explosions of insurmountable magnitude!"

Gir's body deflated and he cast his eyes to the ground. "Aww. I like being able to explode."

Zim shot him a ruffled look, and suddenly an alert on the console next to him caught his attention.

 **Sir. Incoming message from planet Vort.**

Annoyed by the interruption, Zim clicked a button to accept the transmission. Sure enough, the image of a scrawny Vortian prisoner appeared on screen.

"Zim!" he shouted, in a fit of excitement. "I only have a moment, but I was finally able to track down some of the infomation you requested!"

The Irken's antennae perked up in interest. "Well it's about time," he stated rather rudely, crossing his arms in irritation. "Now tell me, what did you find?""

777's face lit up with excitement. "Actually, I found some rather fascinating info! As it turns out, you Irkens CAN still, in fact, reproduce biologically outside of a hatching facility! Most have lost the ability to produce multiple offspring in a single setting, but it is still technically possible. However, the catch is you would need to find a mate."

Unimpressed with the findings, Zim scowled in irritation. "This tells me nothing vile horn beast! I need to know about the FEELINGS I've been having. The reason WHY I'm interested in such a thing in the first place. I need to know what is going on with ME! With ZIM!"

The Vortian shrugged indifferently. "I don't know what to tell you Zim. It says here in my logs that male Irkens used to compete for females and bring them gifts to show their worthiness. Maybe it's possible something has triggered some of those tendencies in you."

Zim tapped his foot in frustration. "Impossible! Nothing takes control of Zim! You hear me prison filth? NOTHING!"

Too distracted with what was happening in front of him, he failed to notice Tak approaching from behind.

"What's going on?" she asked, drawn to the sudden commotion.

Zim panicked and scrambled to hide the monitor from view. "Oh uh, nothing!"

Unconvinced, she gave him a dubious look and forcefully shoved him out of the way, revealing a very small, very surprised, Vortian prisoner staring right back at her.

"Oh my...a _female_ Irken," he stated, his eyes wide with interest. "Well that um...that definitely explains a lot."

Tak stared at the prisoner questioningly and then turned back toward Zim. "And what does he mean by that?"

"Well, I uh..." Zim rubbed the back of his neck, not entirely sure how to answer. Tak approached him with an intimidating demeanor and he began to back away slowly.

"You've been telling others about me? About us!?" she pressed, obviously disturbed by the news.

Sensing the tension rising between the two Irkens, the Vortian decided it was probably a good time to go. "Well this is all a bit awkward," he said nervously, hoping to escape the situation. "I'll uh, forward you the files and call back some other time."

The transmission ended and Tak was left to shoot Zim another precarious look. "Well?"

He stared back at her nervously, beads of sweat dripping down his neck. Her glare pierced through to his very soul and he felt her vexation creep steadily under his skin. He tapped his claws together, desperate to drum up an explanation. "Well, I um...I..."

Tak watched with a mixture of anger and betrayal as he struggled to explain himself. She drew closer, each step causing a stone to collect in the pit of his stomach. Zim backed away further, feeling his ego to shrink bit by bit. "I was just uh...I was just-" He felt his back press against a wall, realizing he had backed himself into a corner. He cowered a bit more as she loomed over him, sweat dripping down the base of his neck.

"I JUST WANTED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT IRKEN COURTSHIP RITUALS!" he blurted out, covering his face from whatever potential projectile he expected her to hit him with. His eyes squeezed shut and he awaited the impending blow.

Tak froze and stared down at him intensely. _That's it?_ she questioned, wondering if he was really telling the truth. Zim opened his eyes slowly, only to find her staring down at him with calculating intensity. She seemed to be thinking over his answer carefully, and judging whether or not he deserved a good punch to the gut.

He gulped and held perfectly still as she hovered inches away from him.

With bared teeth, she grabbed hold of his uniform and yanked him off the ground. She leaned in closer, holding his face inches from her own. "And what exactly were you hoping to find out?" she asked, her tone laced with underlying venom.

Her intimidating demeanor caused chills to run down his spine, and he felt his face heat up as she held him. He was both excited and terrified, and a part of him really wanted to reach out and see if he could take things a different direction, but the sensible part of him remained still. He knew that if he dared to move, it would likely result in a very painful smack to the head, and that was not something he particularly looked forward to.

"I was trying to understand some of the feelings I've been having lately," he explained, his pulse still beating a million miles an hour. "I was working on reactivating MiMi and fusing her outer shell with a new titanium alloy when the call came through and I-"

"You reactivated Mimi!?" Letting go of her grip on him, she dashed over to the machine in excitement. He fell to the ground with a thud and watched in discomfort as she fawned over the containment unit.

Nerves settling, he massaged the side of his arm and stood up, straightening out his shirt in the process. He struggled to get his voice under control.

"Yes, as I was saying. I have fused Mimi's outer shell with particles collected from Saturn rings. The result is a titanium alloy, capable of withstanding even the toughest of impacts. You will find the new shell much sturdier and far more durable than the last."

Tak's hand graciously glided along Mimi's metallic surface, a sense of relief washing over her as she was reunited with her precious SIR unit.

She glanced up at him. "You went all the way to Saturn?"

Zim shrugged nonchalantly. "Eh, no big deal really," he said, trying to hide an evident blush. "It was the only planet close enough that had all of the materials I needed and it was easier just to gather them in one place. I did the same thing to Gir years ago. It was the only way to keep him from destroying himself every day."

He glanced over at his companion who coincidentally had just ignited a match and was staring at it before setting fire to the chicken grease he had poured all over himself. The grease engulfed in flame, and the little robot shrieked in excitement before dashing out of the room.

Zim turned back to Tak. "Ya see?"

After running a gloved hand over the shiny new lining on her SIR unit, Tak looked back at him admiringly. She was unsure what to say and found that her stubborn pride was keeping her from showing any form of gratitude. _I suppose I should thank him for going through the effort,_ she pondered carefully, _but then again it WAS his fault Mimi was deactivated in the first place. Why should I thank him for returning something that was rightfully mine?  
_

She approached him quietly, causing his antennae to fall back in submission. She smirked, admiring the respect she still managed to command from him.

Ever since they had gotten close, she'd noticed something had changed within the obstreperous Irken. Instead of the loud, self-obnoxious prick he used to be, his behavior toward her had become rather docile. He hardly ever insulted her anymore, and even though she knew it was customary for a male Irken to present a gift to a female after accepting certain affections, Zim was a clueless ex-invader who had no prior knowledge of such an exchange.

She brought her hand up to rest against his cheek, causing an intense blush to form on him in return. His eyes watched her every move, and he remained perfectly still. She held him there for a moment, deciding whether his actions were worthy of her appreciation. He had likely done everything on pure instinct, and he was probably in an even more confused state-of-mind than she was. _I suppose I can't be TOO upset for him being curious,_ she supposed. _Besides, I can always hack into the system and find out about it later._

She leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, allowing him to finally let out the sigh of relief he had been holding in. "Come on," she said, motioning toward the elevator. "Let's find out just how durable Mimi's new shell really is."

* * *

 **Later**

Dib let out an exacerbated sigh as Zim followed him through the halls of the junior high school. It had been several hours since _skool_ started, and not once had the love struck Irken stopped talking about his romantic endeavors with Tak. The boy had been more than eager to learn about it at first, but he soon realized just how much the Irken could drone on, and on.

"...and then after I reactivated her SIR unit, she thanked me with another peck on the cheek. Oh, and after that, we traveled to the planet of the mole-hill people and saw how many we could wack together before time ran out. And then Gir requested we see the universes largest soda can. It was a lot smaller than I excepted, but still pretty impressive. Hey, do you think Tak likes giant things of soda? Perhaps I shall supersize one and present it to her as an offering! She would be so happy!"

Dib stopped in the middle of the hallway and let out a heavy sigh. He brought his fingers up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Yes Zim. I get it. You're in love, but could you please just SHUT UP about it for ten minutes? Geez, if I knew you were going to be this annoying, I would have never even asked in the first place."

The Irken scoffed and shot him a look of irritation."You DARE mock Zim's glorious accomplishments human? I'll have you know, I can still destroy you and everything around you if you utter one more callous remark against Tak."

"I didn't...say anything bad about Tak," said Dib, somewhat confused. "I was just asking if you could stop talking about all that mushy stuff for a while."

"LIES!" Zim shouted, pointing a claw in his direction. "Nothing but horrible, filthy lies!"

Dib rolled his eyes and went on to shove his books into his locker. "Whatever. So what were you planning to get her for Valentine's day anyway?"

The Irken froze. "Eh? What are you talking about?"

"Valentines day," he repeated, raising an eyebrow. "You know? The day everyone gives out loads of meat gifts to one another?"

Zim stared at him blankly.

"The day you and Tak MET?"

Zim's eyes widened with panic as the realization set in. "You mean today is-? And we are-? And I haven't-? Oh no..."

Sensing the alien was about to have a minor meltdown, Dib held out his arms out to try and calm him down.

"Look, relax. It's probably not that big a deal. It's just a stupid human holiday tradition after all. Tak will probably be happy with anything, as long as it doesn't explode or eat her brain or something. If you want, you can follow me later to a gift shop on my way home after school. I need to pick up some things there and you should be able to find something for her as well."

The Irken scoffed at the suggestion. "Pfft. As if your tiny human brain could never understand the greatness that IRKEN gifts require. It must be much more than a simple meat slab or kick-knack Dib-meat. It must be impressive, extraordinary, remarkable! Especially if that someone is Tak!"

Dib rolled his eyes again. "Well it couldn't hurt to at least try. Besides, what have you got to lose?"

Zim seemed to contemplate the matter, but the sound of the late bell interrupted his thoughts. The next thing he knew, Dib was dragging him forcefully down the hall. "Come on space-boy! We're going to be late to class!"

* * *

After school, the two boys made their way to the gift shop and upon entering, the sound of a single, jingling bell chimed above them. It chimed again as the door closed behind them and the black cat that was cleaning its paws on the counter hopped up onto a nearby bookshelf.

The inside was dark, and the walls around them were painted with a vibrant, rich purple. Zim examined the rows of shelves featuring tacky products lined against the wall. There were a few interesting artifacts in the mix, but most were cheap kick-knacks designed to serve a ridiculous purpose. And of course, there were the traditional crystal balls that swirled wildly with an internal glowing, milky substance.

On the other side of the room were towering bookshelves containing old books that appeared to have collected a significant amount of dust over the years. On top of the shelf nearest to them, the black cat loomed over them. It's tail twitched back and forth as it studied them carefully with gleaming eyes.

Suddenly an old, wrinkly woman appeared from behind the silk curtain covering the back room. "Ah Dib! It is wonderful to see you again my dear. Tell me, what is it you will be needing this time?"

Dib approached the counter and tilted his head up at her. She looked like an old gypsy, straight from the medieval era, and her head and body were wrapped in various silk garments, leading all the way down to the rickety old cane she used to aid her walking. She had a friendly, grandmotherly appearance, and wore a smile with the wisdom of a hundred years.

"Hey Madame Theresa," he greeted. He was just tall enough to peak over the counter. "I just need some supplies for catching some zombie rats in the graveyard. I want to run some tests on them."

"Ah yes," the old woman nodded. "I hear there is a full moon out tonight." She was about to retrieve the supplies from behind the counter when she noticed Zim standing behind him.

"Oh my, and who do we have here?" She stepped out and slowly approached the confused Irken with a curious demeanor. "My, my. You are certainly a strange one aren't you?" She knelt down and reached a hand out to examine him. "Such a wonderful specimen. And such healthy green skin."

Feeling she was entirely too close for comfort, Zim twitched and swatted the air around her frantically. "BEGONE WITH YOU FOUL CREATURE OF PERFUME AND CLOTH!" he shouted manically. "Leave me unhanded or I will be forced to-"

She smiled and let out a mild chuckle. "Such a proud one you are. What brings you to our humble planet I wonder?"

Zim suddenly went cold and a chill ran down the center of his spine. Had the Dib-human sold him out? Was this whole thing nothing more than a ploy to get him exposed and to get arrested by the Earth authorities? He snapped his head to look over at Dib, but to his surprise, the boy looked equally as shocked and confused as he was.

"Wait, you knew he was an alien?" questioned Dib, equally hungry for answers. "But how? I've been coming here for years! Why didn't you say anything!?"

The old lady chuckled. "And who would believe a crazy old woman like myself, hmm?" she asked, smiling warmly.

Dib raised a finger and opened his mouth to answer, but knowing she made a good point, he closed it again. Ignoring him, the woman went back to studying Zim, who still remained stricken with fear. "Now, now, no need to worry strange one," she reassured, taking a step back to give him some space. "No harm will come to you here. But I do sense something is troubling you. What are the answers that you seek?"

Before Zim could respond, Dib stepped in front of him. "He came here looking for a gift for his girlfriend," the boy teased, earning a look of disapproval from the terrified Irken. The little jab seemed to be enough to jolt Zim back into his usual comfort zone.

"Ah, love," answered the gypsy, understanding the problem. "It's found on all kinds of worlds." She made her way over to the bookshelf where the cat prepared to leap down. She reached out and allowed it to climb up onto her shoulder. She scratched under its chin as it let out a heavy purr. "It certainly is one of the most beautiful of rituals, she said, stroking the feline repeatedly, "but also the most difficult. I am afraid you won't find anything of interest here for your kind my dear, but I can leave you with this; sometimes the greatest gifts are not the ones that are the most impressive, nor the most expensive, but the ones that mean the most to those receiving them."

Zim tilted his head curiously, not fully understanding the meaning behind her words. Having said her piece, the gypsy woman went back to the counter and reached under it to fetch Dib the supplies he'd asked for. "There you are my boy," she said, transferring the bag to the young paranormal investigator's hands. "Now do be careful with those pesky rats. I would hate to receive a phone call from your father demanding to know why you insisted on raising the dead again."

Dib took the supplies eagerly and dropped some money on the counter. "Don't worry Madame Theresa. I know what I'm doing this time." He thanked the gypsy and then turned to head to the exit. "Come on Irken skum. Lets go."

Zim turned to follow suit and was almost out the door when the old woman called out to him once again.

"Oh and Zim."

He stopped and turned to look back at her.

"Earth is not such a bad place to call home my dear. You should try and give it a chance sometime."

Zim's face wrinkled in disgust and he quickly slammed the door behind him.

The old woman chuckled and continued to stroke the cat gracefully. It purred loudly and tilted its head up to let out a distinct meow.

"Yes Salem. I do believe they will too."

* * *

Back at the base, Tak scanned the information presented in front of her incredulity. Her slacked jaw hung wide open in shock. She read it repeatedly, hoping to locate some critical detail or indication that what she was seeing wasn't actually there.

 _Smeets!? Zim was planning on having smeets? WITH HER?!_

Feeling dizzy she stepped away from the computer console and held her head in disbelief. "I can't believe- This...this is-" Her mind ran a mile a minute trying to process it. _This can't be real. Not after everything that's happened. This can't be all he was after all along. Why would he want such a thing anyway?_

Suddenly the sound of the elevator descending behind her caught her attention. She wheeled around only to find the culprit himself stepping proudly off the platform.

"Hey Tak! I'm back! Zim shouted as he eagerly began making his way to her. "And you'll be pleased to know that being as amazing as I am, I have found the perfect gift to present to you for Valentine's Da-"

The wind was instantly knocked out of him as she forcefully tackled him to the ground. She had him pinned in seconds, and was straddled above him seething in anger.

"What's this about having smeets Zim!?" she yelled, demanding an explanation.

He stared back at her blankly, utterly confused. "What are you talking about?" he asked, struggling to push her off.

Anger burning, she yanked him off the ground and dragged him over to the nearby computer monitor. "This!" she shouted, slamming his head directly into the console. "This is research specifically on how to impregnate a female! What were you doing with THIS!?"

Groaning, he pushed himself up a little so he could clearly read over the files. When he finished reading them, he felt the blood in his face drain and turned white as a sheet. "I uh...it's not what it looks like!"

"Oh it's not?" questioned Tak, still seething in anger. She yanked him back so they were face to face one again. "Well then, do explain to me WHAT exactly IT is because from the looks of it, you were planning on having ME carry on your repugnant bloodline!"

Cheeks burning intensely, he cast his gaze off to the side in embarrassment. "Well I um...I don't think that would be such a bad thing," he said nervously with a smile. "After all, I AM pretty amazing."

She stared at him furiously. The dismayed look on her face told him his failed attempt at humor only served to anger her further. He rubbed the back of his neck and tried desperately to conjure up another explanation.

"Tak, that information you found, it was originally retrieved out of curiosity. I was confused, and the feelings I've been having lately were things I couldn't explain and have never been experienced before in my entire life."

He noticed her expression soften a bit, but it was quickly replaced with one of raw aggression. "And you expect me to believe that?" she questioned, not willing to let him off so easily. "I want to know the truth Zim! Why do you have those files? Is it some sort of experiment you plan on concocting? What is your real purpose for keeping me here!?"

Hoping she would actually listen to what he had to say, he motioned for her to put him down. To his amazement, she did as he asked.

"Tak. I know you may have difficulty believing me when I say this, but I really do like spending time with you. These past few weeks have been beyond confusing and somewhat torturous, but having you here, with me...I've found it quite enjoyable."

She scoffed and folded her arms incredulously.

He continued. "I know how miserable you must feel being trapped here on Earth, and now that were both stuck on this _horrible_ planet together, but I just thought that...that maybe-"

She lifted a finger to silence him, and he felt his heart sink. He hadn't anticipated her rejection, not so soon anyway. He watched as she slowly crept back toward him while keeping her boiling anger under control.

"Zim. Do you have ANY idea what I've been through?" she asked, keeping her voice stern and direct.

The question hit him like a ton of bricks. Of course he had no idea. How could he? He had no memories of her countless struggles, no recollection of her insurmountable embarrassment, no knowledge of her hardship. Everything he knew was only the small bit she allowed him to know, and that didn't account for much.

He stared at her vacantly, unsure how to answer.

"Unlike you, I wasn't privileged enough to be hatched in an Irken facility. I was born on Irk, naturally." His eyes went wide as she held his gaze. "I was not given the same opportunities as smeets like you. My biological mother had a choice, either care for me until I was ready to enter training, or abandon me and leave me to die. She chose the latter."

She looked away from him and sat down, bringing her knees up under her arms and casting her eyes down to the ground. He decided to sit down as well and patiently waited for her to continue.

"For one reason or another, one of the nurses took pity on me and placed me in an incubator until I was developed enough to have a PAK attached. Once the downloads were complete, I was then herded off to join training along with the others, but that was when the real difficulty started."

She lifted her hand and ran it across the area where the small tube connected to her forehead. Zim shifted his eyes to it, but her hand dropped almost immediately.

"Because I wasn't tank-bred like the rest of them, I was never taken seriously by anyone. I was picked on relentlessly or ignored completely. It wasn't even until I grew a few inches taller that I was even acknowledged for any of my accomplishments."

She paused a moment, trying to suppress the burning tightness that had formed in her throat.

"I worked harder than anyone. Trained harder than anyone. I passed every test with a perfect score and made sure to capture the attention of my superiors just to prove I was good enough. I was so close to finally clawing my way to the top. So close to proving that for once and for all, I was actually worth something to the Empire. And then you had to come along."

Feeling the guilt rise again, Zim shifted his focus back to the ground. The individual patterns of the fused surface beneath them suddenly seemed to capture his attention.

"So explain to me," she stated, turning directly toward him with an icy glare. "How could you POSSIBLY know what it's like to be me?"

He looked away again, this time more ashamed than anything else. He was completely at a loss for words. Having nothing to add, and not wanting to upset her further, he sat there silently, tracing away at the floor while avoiding eye contact. He wanted to reach out to her, to comfort her while she spilled her heart out to him. But in a way, the setting just didn't feel appropriate. Instead he sat there, in uncomfortable silence, as he processed the information presented to him.

They remained that way for a while, both of them facing away and not speaking to one another. After some time, Zim finally decided to exit the room. He had nothing more to say and figured at the very least, if she wanted to be alone, he would respect her wishes. He was just about to take his leave when he felt the tight grip of her claws clutch onto the fabric of his uniform.

"I didn't say you could go," she said harshly, fighting a vigorous blush as the words managed to escape her throat. Her head was turned away, and her eyes avoided him out of embarrassment.

He sat back down, not taking his eyes off her. She scooted closer to him, still refusing to look his way. He could sense there was something else she wanted, something more she was hinting at. Then, without warning, she leaned over and kissed him, passionately, inviting him to return the favor back to her ten-fold.

* * *

 **Author's note:** Hello everyone! Hope you are all staying nice and safe indoors during these intense times. No, the Coronavirus hasn't gotten me yet (*crosses fingers*). But on a more positive note, I've had lots of time to sit and flesh out some new content due to this crazy quarantine. To pick out some highlights for this chapter, I really enjoyed writing the scene where Zim and Dib take the side trip to the mysterious gypsy shop. I feel like the old woman would be an interesting character to add to their universe and it sort of explains where Dib hears about some of his paranormal adventures. I also feel it adds just a little bit magic to the paranormal side of their world and was just fun to write overall. Also anyone catch the Easter egg reference with the name of the cat? I took it from an old 90's show that used to be on TV when I was a kid (*hint hint*). As always, let me know what you guys think! Stay safe out there!


	11. Complications

**Complications**

Tak stared up at the night sky in awe. It was surprisingly beautiful. Like a magnificent blanket of twinkling glitter, the distant stars glistened brightly against the vast, open backdrop of space.

She let out a sigh and leaned back on the palms of her hands. She felt amazing, better than she had in years. The raging fury that once consumed her had finally settled and every last muscle in her body felt completely and utterly relaxed. It was as if she had just finished an intense session of rigorous combat training.

Hearing her sigh, Zim glanced over at her concerned.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, wondering if his choice of location wasn't up to her liking. In the aftermath of passion, he had decided to take them atop a grassy hill, one that overlooked the quiet suburban neighborhood below. It was a well secluded area, one in which they didn't have to worry about being out of their disguises. And the hour was shortly after midnight, so by now, most of the humans were already fast asleep.

"It's nothing," she replied, tilting her head back and soaking in a deep breath. She let out a steadily exhale and opened her eyes. "They really are quite lovely aren't they."

"Eh?" He turned to look at her.

"The stars," she motioned back toward the sky. "It only just occurred to me that I haven't just sat and observed them like this since I was last stranded on Dirt. They really are quite exquisite from here. The humans should consider themselves fortunate."

Zim glanced back up at the spectacle above and felt his antennae droop gloomily. "Yes. I suppose they should," he muttered, bowing his head solemnly. He hadn't failed to detect the hint of sadness in her voice and the painful reminder of her unfortunate placement on Dirt wasn't a topic he cared to revisit.

Realizing her poor choice of words, she looked over at him remorsefully. "Zim...I didn't mean..."

"I know," he interrupted, already aware of what she was about to say. He turned his head away shamefully. "Tak. You don't um...regret being with me, do you?"

She looked at him presumptuously. "What do you mean by that?"

He shrugged and began twirling the individual blades of grass between his claws. "I don't know. I just thought that maybe, maybe I...I don't know."

There was a pause as she stared at him curiously.

"Zim." Her voice fell and she leaned over to gently place a hand on his. "That choice was mine to make and mine alone. There's no need to feel pity me for me."

He smiled briefly before pulling his hand away. "You don't have to lie Tak," he said softly, refusing to look her in the eye. "I am under no illusion of just how awful this place truly is. I mean look at it. It's a vile mud ball full of disgusting, smelly ape creatures that possess the intelligence level of a walnut. And to make matters worse, you're stuck here because of me."

Tak's face fell as she tried to suppress her own conflicted feelings. It was true. Despite how much she did care for him, she still blamed him for ruining her life. And even after trusting him enough to get close, a small part of her still hated herself for doing it.

She continued to watch in remorse as he suddenly reached around into his PAK and pulled out a small plastic tube. It was white in color, and had some sort of strip of on the side labelled EMERGENCY.

"I was going to give you this earlier, before you attacked me on the elevator" he said somberly before handing it over to her. "I think you will find its contents rather useful."

She took it cautiously and brought it to her face to study it. "Paste?" she asked, reading the label out loud.

"It's how I was able to withstand the storm the night you arrived," he explained, keeping his eyes focused on the town below. "Applying a layer of it daily will protect your skin and keep you unharmed from Earth's rainier weather patterns. It will grant you the freedom to venture outside of the base from now on."

She glanced down at the tube and then back up at him in silence. _Paste? Had it really been that simple?_ She stared at him in wonder as he looked out over the empty, quiet streets. _How was it that someone like him was able to come up with such a brilliant solution?_ _Him? The same guy who couldn't even screw in a light bulb without electrocuting himself?  
_

She continued to bounce back and forth between the tube and Zim, her mind jogging a mile a minute. It was a generous gift, and one that meant a lot more than he probably realized. Granting such knowledge to her meant surrendering his one home-field advantage. Without the paste to protect him that night from the rain, she would have surely been able to finish him off for good.

Opening up her own PAK, she stored the tube away and glanced back over at him. Scooting in a bit closer, she inched forward until their shoulders practically touched.

"You know Zim..." she said shyly, brushing up against him to indicate her intentions. "You're not so bad for a self-centered, maniacal, destructive, ego-maniac."

Zim blushed and catching on to her playful demeanor, let out a confident chuckle. "Well you're rather remarkable for a cold, heartless assassin," he responded provocatively.

She smirked and moved in closer to him, and together they laid back against the Voot.

Tak stared up at the stars, allowing her mind to drift back to Dirt. She thought about how she used to gaze up at the heavenly bodies from the dock of her ship, fighting off the smell of rotting garbage as she stared at the cerulean-green glow from the massive gaseous planet nearby. The wide open sky there seemed to go on for miles, and it was almost daunting to have to endure such a breathtaking view while her promise of freedom was only a few hundred miles away.

She nuzzled against him warmly and he wrapped his arms around her in return. It may not have been the outcome she'd expected, but this feeling of closeness, this _love_ as the humans called it, it was something she never cared to loose again. She felt giddy and inebriated, like a sweet, sweet nectar, it granted both the strength and the confidence she needed to accomplish anything she set her mind to. It was intoxicating, and invigorating, and she she began to wonder why their kind had abandoned it in the first place.

"Thank you Zim," she hummed, keeping her eyes closed and letting out a long steady, exhale. She rested her head on his shoulder, soaking in his warmth. "I couldn't have asked for a better Valentine's day gift."

He smiled blissfully and gladly returned the gesture. "You are most welcome Tak."

* * *

 **A couple months later**

"Hey, be careful with that Space boy!" Dib shouted, watching the Irken carelessly tinker with his self-constructed listening device. "I didn't bring that all the way down here just so you could break it!"

After weeks of spending significant alone time with Tak, Zim had finally decided to let the pestering young boy back into his labs. He had grown tired of the constant badgering, and Dib had been nothing but relentless. Whenever he chose to step foot outside, the human had been there, ready to bombard him with a serious of tedious questions. And even when the Irken tried threatening him, it did nothing but fall on deaf ears. Zim tried screaming at him, activating his lawn gnomes, sending Gir topside, and even unleashing a heard of viscous rabid gofers, but nothing seemed to deter the Earth boy. Eventually, the Irken just gave up, and since the human had proven himself useful on more than one occasion, he decided to allow him back in to help repair the base.

"You DARE command me how to use MY tools inside MY own base?" Zim replied, holding his gorgitwrench high above his head. "You should be grateful I even offered to help you with this...this...?" He paused. "What is this thing anyway?"

"It's a translator," answered Dib, hoping the alien wasn't about to undue all of his hard work . He had stayed up late working on it the night before and was quite proud of his progress. "It's designed to take in any language from the speaker and change it to that of the listener."

Zim waved a hand out in front of him. "Pft! Child's play. Relax Dib-meat, no Irken tool would ever be impetuous enough to damage this simplified design. It would need to be made of scrap metal or some other useless material in order for to-

...oh wait, it broke."

Dib's face fell in horror. "No!" He lunged to take back the device, but Zim held it just out of reach.

"Not to worry Dib-stink!" Zim shouted, making sure to keep it away as best he could. "I can easily repair it with my trusted, GRAVITY LASER!" He turned to shout at his minion. "Gir! Fetch the laser! Quickly!"

Obeying his master's command, Gir set down the hammer he was using to endlessly bang dents into poor Mimi's head and grabbed the tool as requested. He handed it to Zim.

"Now watch human! Watch in amazement as I improve your puny little invention with my superior Irken knowledge!"

Dib watched in awe as the blaring windup from the machine echoed loudly throughout the room. The tool in Zim's hand vibrated intensely, and he waited in anticipation as the sounds grew louder and louder. Eventually, all that followed was a puny little bleep.

"Wait, that was it?" stated Dib unimpressed. "All you did was zap it for two seconds."

Zim rubbed his hands together gleefully. "Yes! But those two seconds made it _better_! And now, Dib-meat, you should find that it can detect ANY possible language, including all of the horrible, ridiculous ones your filthy race has come up with."

He tossed it back to Dib, who's eyes slanted in suspicion. "Oh yeah? So it should even be able to pick up on your language then, right?"

Zim shrugged. "I 'unno. Let's find out."

The Irken snatched the device and muttered something otherworldly into it. Dib felt a small shock of electricity and with a yelp, fell to the ground in surprise.

Gir giggled hysterically.

"What did he say?" demanded Dib, pushing himself back up.

"He called you a large-headed Gizzleflorp," Tak answered, casually entering from the other side of the room. She was carrying a sizable box of loose electric components and seemed to be installing them throughout the base.

Dib frowned and rubbed his head in agony "That still doesn't explain why it shocked me" he groaned. "I checked all the wiring this morning. Everything should have been fine."

"Your invention simply did not know what to do with the unknown verbal cues," she explained, attaching some of the components to a nearby wall. "The Irken language is far more complex than any of those spoken here on Earth, and it most likely overloaded from the added stimulus."

Dib frowned and turned back toward the alien who had now joined Gir in laughter. "Ha ha, very funny Space boy," he muttered sarcastically. "Maybe next time we'll just go ahead and test it on you first to see how you like it."

He began to remove the device from his ear when Tak spoke up once again. "I can't see how you should be surprised," she stated flatly, causing him to look over in her direction. "It's not like Zim has a track record of doing things right the first time. Or ever for that matter."

Dib glanced at the ex-invader who was now slapping the ground and tearing up in laughter. _She does have a point_ , he thought privately. _In a way, it's kind of my fault for being stupid enough to listen to him._

She was about to pack up her things and leave when Dib called out to her. "Hey! Wait a minute!" he shouted, causing her to pause and turn back around. "I've been meaning to ask you. What do you see in Zim anyway?"

Tak stopped in her tracks. "I beg your pardon?"

"Zim," Dib repeated, sticking his thumb out toward the Irken. "He's been doing nothing but talk about you for weeks now. I know you hated him when you first landed here, so what finally got you to warm up to him?"

Bristled in annoyance, Tak irritably crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't see why I should explain any of that to you human," she answered sourly, a blush forming across her cheeks. "And what business of it is yours anyway? It's not like a simple Earth creature to meddle in the complexity of Irken affairs."

Dib gave her a sarcastic look and rolled his eyes. "Geez, I was just asking. Besides, meddling in Irken affairs is kinda my thing, you know?" He raised an eyebrow and glanced over at her. "It's funny, but you're even starting to sound like him."

Tak's face flushed in embarrassment. "That's it!" she shouted, pointing claw in his direction. "Computer! Dispose of this filthy Earth creature! At once!"

Dib glanced up, and the next thing he knew, a large vacuum tube had descended above his head. "Aw come on," he groaned, already feeling the powerful suction begin to lift him from the ground. Within seconds, the tube had picked him up, and his long drawn out yell could be heard gradually as he was cast further and further out of the base.

"Good riddance," muttered Tak, dusting her hands off as she turned to exit the lab.

"What was that about?" Zim asked, approaching the area where Dib was last seen standing. Tak glanced over at him.

"Oh, just ridding the base of some unnecessary rubbish," she replied calmly, strolling past as if nothing had happened.

* * *

The next few days, things continued on as normal. Zim carried on with work around the base and Tak went about upgrading whatever piece of tech sparked her interest. She seemed to be using the projects as a means to keep herself occupied and as promised, she'd provided some major upgrades to his base's core systems. She even went so far as to add a few of her own personal touches. His computer, which now operated on half the processing power, responded quicker and sounded a lot less lethargic than before, and his voot cruiser, which he'd noticed was more responsive during flight, was faster and far more agile. Things seemed to be going quite well.

...or so he thought.

After a while, he began to notice she was starting to act much more distant than before, and instead of her usual eye catching glance when she passed him in hall, she barely gave him so much as nod. She looked utterly exhausted, and her stares were focused and on edge, as if her thoughts were thousands of miles from Earth.

It wasn't long before her nervous behavior started to take its toll on him as well. He began loosing his ability to concentrate, and he wanted to pull his antennae out when trying to figure out whatever it was that was bothering her. It was like they were back at square one, when he was trying meticulously to get her to notice his efforts. He began intentionally placing himself in areas where she frequently visited, hoping to catch her when she was in the right mood for conversation. At first it seemed to work, but gradually she caught on to his tactics. She started changing up her routine, and made it more and more difficult for him to track her. Eventually she ventured around the lab only when he was away, and when she walked into a room where he was found to already be working, she simply would leave without a word.

One evening, Zim found himself casually marching down the halls of the base when he suddenly heard shouting coming from the lab.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN POSITIVE! I THOUGHT YOU SAID THE TESTS SAID INFERTILE!"

In an instant he sprinted down the corridor, curious what the commotion could possibly be. The voice was undoubtedly Tak's, and she sounded very angry.

He stopped at the entryway and poked his head around just enough to see to the inside of the lab. Sure enough, she was standing there, and in front of her was a small evaluation tank with a test sample of what appeared to be fresh Irken blood. It was strange in color, and looked as if some sort of foreign chemical had been added to the vial.

"No. What I said was, it was very unlikely," corrected prisoner 777. The Vortian was hovering directly in front of her on the monitor and he too looked like he hadn't slept in weeks.

"But Zim is tank bred!" shouted Tak, trying to suppress the panic in her voice. "There's no way it should even been possible!"

777 shrugged. "Look, I don't know what to tell you lady. I'm an engineer, not a doctor."

Tak squeezed the test tube in her hand, threatening to snap it in two. She leaned in closer. "Listen you bumbling idiot. You'd better have some answers for me soon, or I swear I will launch those three helpless children of yours into space!"

"What is it with you Irkens and launching people's kids into space?" he questioned tiredly.

She stared back at him with a venomous glare.

"Alright, alright," he said, holding his tiny hands up. "Let's just back up and go over the details for a minute." He pulled up a list of digital files and scrolled through them carefully. "Let's see. The initial results of your blood test DID originally come back as negative, but intriguingly they were very different than the ones you sent me the second time around. It's as if your hormones completely rearranged themselves overnight."

"And what about the information you collected for Zim?" Tak asked impatiently. "Isn't there something in there that can help?"

The Vortian flipped through a few more files and shook his head. "All it says here is that to keep up with the rate of intergalactic conquest, your kind built massive hatching facilities to produce soldiers on a grand scale. Most of the smeets born by that point were genetically randomized while others were simply cloned. It appears that over time, your species gradually lost the need to reproduce, and because it was deemed an unnecessary distraction, it was fazed out further with the help of your PAKs."

"But that STILL doesn't explain why this happened to ME," shouted Tak impatiently.

The Vortian sighed wearily. "Well you mentioned that you ARE natural born," he said, restating the obvious. "It would only make sense that you would be predisposed to such a condition." He brought a claw to his chin to think on the matter. "And Zim's PAK WAS determined to be defective during his trial on Judgementia. The only reason he's still alive today is because the control brains deemed the files too corrupt to integrate back into their collective. It's quite possible that his PAK never functioned properly from the start, and that WOULD explain why the two of you were able to-"

He paused, noticing Zim's scarlet red eyes peering around the corner. "Oh no..."

Tak turned around, curious to see what caught the Vortian's attention. Her eyes narrowed.

"Zim!" she shouted, her tone indicating her exasperation. His head disappeared rapidly behind the wall. "Just how long did you plan on spying on me?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Spying?" he replied innocently, stepping out from his hiding spot. "Zim has no need for spying. I was simply...uh...checking up on you. Yes, that's it!"

Tak gave him a contemptuous look. "Then what were you doing out in the hallway?"

He made his way over to her. "It is MY base, in case you have forgotten." he stopped only a few feet away. "And what's going on here between you and prisoner 777 might I ask? Some sort of secret meeting I should know about?"

"Nothing that concerns you!" she snapped, causing him to take a step back. She seemed unusually callous, and not in a way where he would be able to win her over with simple praise.

The Vortian cleared his throat awkwardly. "Uh actually, it kinda does concern him..." he interjected, raising his hand.

Tak wheeled around and glared at him with piercing violet eyes. "YOU STAY OUT OF THIS VORT BOY!"

Zim approached her cautiously, making sure to keep his guard up. "Tak?" he questioned, his voice full of concern. "What's going on? Are you sure you're alright?"

"DO I LOOK LIKE I'M ALRIGHT?"

Recoiling from her sudden outburst, he eyed over her worriedly. "Are you sick? Because you seem sort of...not good."

Letting out a heavy sigh, she collapsed in defeat. She knew she was fighting a loosing battle, and he was destined to find out sooner or later. "Isn't it obvious you idiot?" she asked, hoping he would get the hint.

He stared at her blankly.

Standing up, she led him over to the collection of vials and pointed out the ones scattered around the floor. "These are various blood samples I ran over the course of three weeks," she explained, her voice staying low. "All fifteen came back positive."

Zim cocked his head. "Positive? Positive for what?"

She stared at him vacantly, but said nothing. A good amount of time passed before either of them decided to speak. Finally it was the Vortian who broke the silence.

"Tak is pregnant with your smeet Zim," he interjected, urging the conversation along. The two Irkens looked up at him in shock. He simply shrugged. "Hey, s _omeone_ had to come out and say it."

Zim whipped around to look back at her. "Tak? Is..is that true?"

She nodded slowly, and shamefully lowered her gaze to the ground.

He took a step back and suddenly felt the center of his knees go weak. His body went stiff with shock, and the weight of gravity seemed to drastically increase as his head swirled about in a cocktail of excitement and confusion.

"A smeet?" he muttered, doing everything he could to prevent himself from collapsing. He repeated it over and over in his head. "You're carrying around a smeet!?"

Tak felt her nerves pick up as he stared back at her anxiously.

"H-how...how long have you known?"

"A couple of weeks now," she answered, casting her glance off to the side. "The effects have only started to become apparent in the last forty-eight hours."

Zim paced the floor, contemplating the information that was presented to him. _A smeet? A helpless Irken child? One that has no way of knowing who it was or how care for itself?_

He continued to pace the floor in a panic. He didn't know how to care for such a thing. There was no preparation, no training for him to speak of. His kind were genetically engineered to have this sort of thing prevented, and for good reason.

Suddenly, the Vortian interrupted again. "Ahem. Perhaps I can be of some assistance," he said, clearing his throat.

Zim stopped pacing and turned around to face the monitor.

777 continued. "You are probably wondering what course of action to take about now," he said, reading the Irken's mind. "Well, the most important thing you must know is that without proper surgery, Tak's life could be in very real danger."

"Danger?" Zim's antennae perked up. "What do you mean REAL danger?"

"Well," continued the Vortian, "If the smeet isn't removed in time, it could end up killing it's host. Or in this case, Tak."

Zim paused as he tried to process the information."So what you're saying is, if nothing is done, Tak will...die?"

The Vortian nodded.

Zim felt a lump in his throat as he tried to think of something that could be done. He turned back to look over at Tak, but she looked just as worried and frightened as he was.

"What can be done?" he asked, his voice suddenly stern.

"The only way to ensure any chance of survival for both parties, is if Tak returns to Irk. There, she can be watched over carefully while they monitor her progress. Apparently they still have a facility where they can carry out that sort of thing."

Zim's posture stiffened, and he felt a sudden tightness grip his organs. _Irk?_ No, she couldn't go back to Irk. The Tallest would definitely catch wind of her arrival and once she was forced to go stand trial, he would likely never see her again.

He looked back at her, a fearful expression reflecting in his eyes. He felt his stomach drop. He knew what had to be done.

"It's settled then. Tak will return to Irk."

Tak's eyes widened at the response. "What!?" she questioned, her voice rising in panic. "Are you insane?"

Pacing the floor, Zim ignored her protest. "You must. It's the only way."

"But they'll imprison me the moment I step foot on that planet! There's got to be another option."

"There isn't."

Feeling her anger rise, Tak stomped over to him. "You do realize that if I go back there, they will send me back to Dirt? Or worse! They'll label me as a defective!"

Zim turned to her with a sorrowful expression. "I'm sorry Tak, but it's the only way. I never intended for this to happen but-"

"Of course you didn't," she cut him off, a thin sheet of tears forming in her eyes. He fell silent as she stared into him coldly. "You never _mean_ for these things to happen Zim, but somehow you always end up being on the other end of it. You just can't help but destroy the lives of everyone around you can you? And even when you think you're making things better, you always manage to make them worse."

Zim felt his heart sink as he felt her words cut into him. He knew she was probably only reacting to the hormones, but her insults still hurt worse than when Gir accidentally released his brain eating monster creation.

Swallowing hard, he reached out to help her. "Tak...please I-"

"Don't touch me!" she snarled, shoving him away. Her emotions starting to get the best of her, and he could see the confused, look in his eyes. "Please." She begged, turning away from him. "You've already done enough."

He watched helplessly as she exited the lab. He felt the desperate need to chase after her, but before he could take two steps, he was stopped abruptly by Mimi.

He frowned. "I command you to step aside at once!" he shouted impatiently.

Mimi stared back at him, refusing to budge. Its eyes narrowed into glowing, scarlet slits, and it leered back at him with menacing intensity.

They remained that way for a while, both Irken and machine challenging each other in a game of wits. Neither of them were willing to back down, but eventually it was Zim who finally conceded.

"Fine! But don't think this is over Mimi. I promise you, you will rue the day you ever stood up to me, ZIM!"

Satisfied, the loyal SIR unit snorted and turned away. It scurried along to join its master.

Zim watched as it trotted away proudly, leaving him to wallow in his own misery. He turned around and dragged his sulking body back over to the monitor. The Vortian prisoner watched curiously as he hovered a fist over a large release button.

"Hey, what are you doing?" asked 777, suddenly worried.

Zim slammed his fist down, hard. The container holding the Vortian children suddenly opened up and sucked them straight out of the lab.

777 began to panic. "Wait, what did you do!? Where did my children go!?"

"Your offspring have been released and transported to their proper caretaker back on Vort," explained Zim, his voice calm and emotionless."You should find you will be able to contact them in a matter of weeks."

The Vortian stared at him dumbfounded. "Um, well I uh...t-thank you," he replied, completely at a loss for words.

The Irken ignored him and then leaned over the button to cut the transmission.

"Wait!" he shouted causing the Zim to freeze. The ex-invader looked up at him annoyed.

"What made you suddenly change your mind?"

Zim's eyes narrowed and he glared back at the prisoner. "Let's just agree that you are to never speak of this in the future. Understand?"

Getting the hint, and recognizing the dark tone in the Irken's voice, the Vortian nodded and immediately ended the transmission.

* * *

 **Author's note:** Whew! So sorry this took so long to get out there. This chapter was originally way longer, but I have decided to split it in two since this seems a good place to pause. I must have rewritten it at least twenty times before finding a version I was happy with. The previous drafts were far too fast paced and had way too much going on to make any sense. So, I had to scrap them and start over from scratch. Plus I was dealing with filling out unemployment and balancing fiances for this whole COVID thing, so that didn't exactly create the best head space for sitting down and writing.

I'm sure some of you probably saw the direction that this story was going from the start, and I just hope I didn't disappoint anyone with an overly predicable plot line. But like I mentioned before, this is loosely based off my original story and I planned to have a lot of similarities when writing this one.

Also, I have no idea how two Irkens would come together to produce a smeet, but I'm a big fan of the "life finds a way" idea. And even if there was an alien race out there that tried to leave that primitive part of themselves behind to further improve their conquest, I can't imagine nature would allow that sort of thing to be forgotten easily.

Don't forget to let me know what your thoughts were! And be sure to stay safe out there during these crazy chaotic times!


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